Wicked: Twist of Fate
by xMegxGiryx
Summary: Wicked retelling, musicalverse. Before, and leading up to just after the 'melting'. Elphaba: sarcastic, intelligent, Glinda: very stupid and silly, Fiyero: clueless and caring, Nessa: sweet and smart, Boq: kind. Fiyeraba.
1. Chapter 1

**So, finally got the new prologue up...! Hopefully it's good. Didn't really know what I was doing, but I did it. :D So, enjoy. And please leave a review! If you leave a review, and a pairing (any)/prompt, I'll write a one-shot dedicated to you!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Wicked.**

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Elphaba stared in wonder at the world around her. Not once, since the cornfield, had she had such clear thoughts. And yet, with the single note that had arrived, the world suddenly fell in place. She _knew _what was going to happen. She _knew _the epilogue to her story.

But was it happy?

The farm girl's wretched cries still came, apparently from every direction. They were extremely bothersome, yes, but Elphaba could now differentiate. Unclear, clear. Black, white. Insane, rational.

It was the guilt that had temporarily driven her insane. Her only love, the only one who had ever called her beautiful, kissed her, had died. Understandably, she had been beside herself, but now she understood it all. She hadn't killed him. Yero, her hero, he hadn't died. He was _alive _and _well._

The shoes weren't her necessity anymore. She had wanted a sign of approval from father, something to remember Nessie by, when all was lost. But everything _wasn't _lost, not anymore. Because Fiyero was alive.

Elphaba was going to let the farm girl go. That part was certain. The farm girl would triumph over her, the Wicked Witch of the West. And her reputation would remain forever tarnished. She had to _die. _But she was going to die happy.

Or... was she? Was she going to die at all? There was a trapdoor... and she could "melt" with water. Better that way. The only thing that pained her was Glinda. Her stupid blonde roommate. She could never know the truth. They would torture her, kill her for the information on her whereabouts.

A shadow of doubt clouded her thoughts. Glinda had never proven herself emotionally strong. Would she be able to take it?

_But it's not a choice. You _have _to take it, Glinda. I promise I'll always watch over you._

Enough stalling on her part. She had to melt. She had to die. With one final breath, Elphaba looked around. It was a beautiful world. She had never appreciated how being alive, being noticed, was a gift. She would never be able to show her face again.

_But it's alright. I have Yero._


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Now, if I owned Wicked, would I be writing Fanfiction? ;) **

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**Chapter 2**

"Get out! Out! Now, before I whip you!"

Elphaba's little three-year-old legs carried her as fast as they could up the stairs, down the hall, and into her room, which would be soon shared by her baby sister. Of course, her sister wasn't supposed to come for about three more months. But just a few minutes ago, Mother had begun screaming, and was taken to bed, where a midwife and Father were trying to make the birth come through. Elphaba, trying to help, had been walking around, but after she bumped into Father the fourth time, he had yelled at her to get out, because she was disturbing everyone and getting in the way. And now she had to stay up here, while her sister was being born, and not know of the status.

A prickling sensation burned behind her eyes, but Elphaba blinked quickly, and looked up at the ceiling. This way, the tears wouldn't spill. She wasn't going to cry because of Father anymore. She used to cry, before, when he called her a mistake, but she had learned to ignore him. Even if she _was_ a mistake, there was nothing she could do about it. Her green skin was simply that, and it would be like that.

Another scream pierced the air. Breathing heavily, Elphaba buried her face in her pillow, and shut her eyes tightly. She knew she wasn't like the other three-year-olds, and not just because of her skin color. While many three-year-olds preferred to play with the OzDust Doll collections, or maybe the OzWheels cars, she preferred reading. Not just the preference of reading, but the fact that she _could _read already confused many. She had never been taught. But Father simply shook his head, and said that it was part of her monsterism.

But why was her sister coming early? Although Elphaba didn't know too much about babies and birth, she did know babies usually stayed nine months in the mother's belly. So why had it only been six months? Elphaba toyed with the hem of her black dress with her right hand. Mother had been resting plenty; Father hadn't allowed her to do any work, because he didn't want his second daughter to be a "mistake", too. The only thing Mother had done was sit, and drink water and chew milkflowers. There wasn't anything wrong with that, was there? Besides that, Mother had only done very light excercise, and slept quite a bit. This truly did confuse her. Wiping her eyes, Elphaba reached for the nearest book, about plants, and turned to the milkflower section.

_Milkflowers, _it read, _are commonly used as a poison for insects, and when applied in large quantities, can cause death of the garden. The only known case of a person digesting it was a Munchkinlander, who died several hours after chewing a whole row of milkflowers. It was noted that before the death, he turned milky white, as the color the flowers are named for, and became paralyzed._

Confused, Elphaba shut the book. So milkflowers could make your skin milky white, but they weren't exactly healthy. Did Father know? What did this mean? Did this mean her sister would die? Immediately, her eyes widened at the realization. What if her sister died? This time, the tears came, and did not subside. Only two tears managed to escape her eyes, and she wiped them away hastily, before opening the book again. She needed to show Father.

As quietly as she could, Elphaba opened the door, and walked out, holding the book which was nearly as big as her. After a quick pause, to make sure she wouldn't run into anyone, she made her way down the stairs, and began walking towards the master bedroom, where Father and Mother were. The door was open, and she began approaching.

"Didn't I tell you to get out of my sight, Elphaba, I don't have time for this!" Father yelled at her, pulling his hair out with worry as he looked at her mother, who had her eyes closed and was whimpering. The midwife had a frown on her face, which Elphaba supposed wasn't good.

"You did, Father, but I was reading, and I read that milkflowers-"

"Elphaba, I do not give a Munchkin about what you read! Go play with your dolls please, and stay out!"

Elphaba hesitated for a moment, before nodding, and leaving the room. Thinking quickly, she set the book on the nearest table, hoping Father would run into it some time or another. With her shoulders slumped in defeat, she went back up the stairs again, and flopped down on her bed, glaring at the floor.

"Why so sad, little missy?" A voice seemed to come from the window. Elphaba's anger diminished, she looked up, surprised. There, she saw a small black raven, looking at her. Father always yelled at her to close her window, but she liked it open, and it was even a treat when an animal or Animal would visit. Not many would talk to her, because she was green, but Animals didn't seem to mind.

"I'm not sad, I'm practicing my crying abilities," Elphaba said flatly, scowling at the floor.

"Mhm. For a talent show? Is that why you painted yourself green? I'm sure the little Governess of Munchkinland will be a great star, one day."

Elphaba's nose wrinkled. She could picture a blonde girl with high pitched laughter holding a microphone. No. She didn't want to be a star. Only shallow, stupid girls wanted to be stars.

"I'm not blonde," Elphaba said quickly, as she held her hair up with her right hand for demonstration.

"But, my dear, you just said you were rehearsing. Surely you painted yourself green and put on a wig,"

"No," Elphaba growled, which didn't really work well, as she had a high three-year-old voice. "I _am _green. It's not paint. And this isn't a wig either. I know I don't look like Father," she added sadly, referring to her father with hair much lighter than hers.

"You're right," said the raven, unfazed by what she was saying. "You don't look like your father. You look like a beautiful toddler, who needs to straighten her bed."

Elphaba stood up, and she was actually quite tall, at about the size of a six-year-old. "You're teasing me, aren't you?" she asked, suspiciously, placing her hands on her hips. But the raven just let out a chuckle, and shoot his small head.

"No, my dear. Just straighten your bed-"

The raven was cut off by another loud scream from Mother. Elphaba tensed, wondering what could possibly be happening. The raven, too, cocked his head to one side, and narrowed his beady black eyes. Confusion was obvious on his features.

"My mother," Elphaba explained with a sigh, sitting down once again, but this time, closer to the window. "She's giving birth to my little sister right now. But she wasn't supposed to for three more months."

"How old are you?" the raven asked curiously, looking at her in a way that made her tense and feel uncomfortable.

"Three," she said a proudly as she could, looking into his eyes. But to her dismay, he didn't look surprised or impressed. He simply nodded, as if he knew. This made Elphaba frown. Did she _look _three? She didn't hope so.

"So," the raven continued, ignoring her troubled look. "So, you're trying to accomplish what, exactly, right now?"

"I don't know," Elphaba snapped, brushing her hair back with her right hand. "All I know is that my sister is going to be a beautiful butterfly, and I'll still be a moldy moth."

"Hardly," the raven said, chuckling. "I need to go now, my dear, but take care of yourself, please. And your beautiful butterfly sister." With that, he ruffled his wings, and left. Elphaba just looked out the window, watching the raven disappear into the sky. She sighed, and sat down on her bed again, and waited.

It was truly eternity. Time could not have gone by slower. But after a few hours, according to the clock, the screaming ceased. Elphaba perked up right away, and dashed to the door, wrenching it open, and she tore downstairs, almost tripping over her dress. When she arrived at the guest room, her eyes widened.

Mother was laying there, with her eyes closed, her beautiful tan skin an abnormal white color. Slowly, Elphaba approached her, where the midwife was holding a little bundle, and Father was crying, holding Mother's hands. Whether he knew that she was there, she didn't know, but Elphaba went forward anyways. She grabbed Mother's other hand. It was cold.

"It's all your fault," Father whispered, hatred washing over her. Elphaba's eyes widened. Did this mean Mother was...? Was she...?

"She's dead. And your sister's legs came all tangled. She'll never be able to walk. It's all your fault."

At this, Elphaba'seyes filled with tears, and she let go of Mother's hands, and went to see her baby sister. Mother was dead. And it was her fault. Father was right. And now her Mother, the only nice person to her, was dead, and her little sister was hurt. Elphaba approached the midwife, who showed her the baby, hesitantly. Elphaba gasped. Her little sister's legs, although they were tangled, were a milky white color, just as the rest of her. She had a few curls of caramel brown hair on her head, and when she opened her eyes, she saw her own dark brown eyes staring back at her. Matching eyes. Her sister truly was a beautiful butterfly. Even if she would never walk, she would soar, and would be a marvelous sister. Elphaba was filled with a warm feeling.

"Beautiful butterfly," she whispered, picking up the bundle. The midwife looked at her for a moment, at her sister, and at Father. Then, she ran out the door. Elphaba wasn't surprised. It must've been quite a sight. Father didn't do anything. He still stroked Mother's hand, and Elphaba began walking out of the room, to take her sister to wash.

"Where do you think you're going, Elphaba?"

Elphaba froze, and turned around, still holding her sister. "To wash her and clothe her."

"Oh, Melena," he whispered, hugging Mother one more time before standing up, and walking to Elphaba. "What's her name?" her murmured, holding the baby close to his heart.

"Beautiful butterfly," Elphaba whispered, not really thinking, just wanting to get her hands back on her sister and take her with her.

"What?" Father snapped, glaring at Elphaba.

"I... She's as beautiful as a butterfly. And I'm as moldy as a moth," Elphaba said, keeping her gaze locked on her sister. She truly did care about her sister, and Father must have noticed it, because he seemed to mellow a little.

"Elphaba, you're not as moldy as a moth. Now take your sister... What shall we name her?"

Elphaba scanned her mind. Melena would be a good name, but she wasn't sure she wanted to remember Mother through her little sister. So instead, she thought of beautiful butterfly. "Rose" meant beautiful, and "Vanessa" meant butterfly. Rose Vanessa. Rosevanessa. Rosenessa. Nessarose. Nessarose!

"Nessarose! It means beautiful butterfly. Let's name her Nessarose!"

Father looked at her, a little surprised for a moment. Then, he seemed to give a ghost of a smile, and nodded, handing Nessarose out to Elphaba. "Okay, my magnificent moth, take care of our beautiful butterfly, Nessarose."

Elphaba cherished that forever. Perhaps Father would not ever show it again, but he must have loved her, even a little. Of course, it would never compare to his love for Nessarose, but he must love her... even a little. With that thought, Elphaba offered a big smile to him, and went upstairs, choosing a small dark blue dress for her sister. Her Nessarose.

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"Oh, mother," Elphaba sighed, and tears streamed down her face freely. She had just finished washing Nessarose, and had finished dressing her. The dark blue really went well with her milky white skin, and caramel hair. Elphaba was still a bit surprised. Nessarose had her same eye color, a chocolate brown, but had Father's caramel hair. Elphaba had dark hair; Mother's, she supposed.

"Mother, Mother." Out of everyone whom she had met, Mother had been the only truly kind one to her. She did love Elphaba, even though she was green. Every day, Mother had reminded her that she was different, and special. Elphaba had smiled and nodded, but she knew the truth. She was different, all right, but she was a freak, not _special. _Nessarose was special. But Elphaba was a freak.

Mother had taught her how to braid her hair, and how to dress herself. And she had taken her to the park, where she liked to go on the slide and pretend she was flying. But Father would never take her to the park. He thought it was a waste of time. "I hope you're happy, Mother," Elphaba whispered, as she hugged Nessarose to her. Nessarose opened her eyes, and looked at Elphaba so warmly, that Elphaba couldn't help but smile back, despite the pain she felt for the loss of Mother.

"Oh, Nessarose," Elphaba whispered, handing Nessarose a lock of her thick black hair with her left hand; she held Nessarose with her right. She was right handed, and dropping Nessarose was _not _an option. She'd sooner jump on a burning stove. Nessarose seemed to apreciate it, for she cracked open a wide, toothless smile, and began playing with Elphaba's hair. She giggled in delight when Elphaba ticked her under her chin. Elphaba was soon so focused on playing with her sister, that she didn't notice when Father walked into her room.

"Elphaba."

Elphaba jumped, startling little Nessarose whose little face scrunched up and tears filled her eyes. Elphaba quickly said, in a soothing voice, "No, Nessarose, don't cry! Please don't cry!" Slowly, Nessarose's sniffles subsided, and she fell asleep in Elphaba's arms. Then, Elphaba looked at Father, who had been standing at her doorway, watching with a strange expression on his face. Elphaba gulped and said in a small voice, "Y-yes, Father?"

"I see you've made friends with your sister. Listen, Elphaba, I need to go out tonight. I'll be back tomorrow. Do you think you could take care of Nessarose, or should I hire a nanny? You're only two, after all..."

"No, Father! I'm almost four. I can take care of Nessarose. You could hire a nanny if you wanted, but if it's only for tonight, I could take care of her."

Father nodded, and kissed the top of Nessarose's forehead. Then, he turned around, and said in a gruff voice, "Don't you dare let anything happen to her. I'll be back late." And with that, he was gone.

Once she heard the sound of the lock, Elphaba walked over to her own bed. Nessarose's crib was at the other side of the room, but she needed to fix it so it would be ready for Nessarose. Setting her sleeping sister on the bed quietly, Elphaba began taking the stuffed Animals off of Nessarose's bed, and fixed the blue bedding for her comfort. Elphaba's own bed and sheets were all green, as was her room, but since Nessarose had been announced, the other half of the room had been decorated blue, for Nessarose. Elphaba then set Nessarose on the crib, with her head resting on a small blue pillow. A smile formed on Elphaba's lips, and she kissed Nessarose's forehead, before going downstairs to grab food for herself, and something for Nessarose.

Once downstairs, Elphaba frowned. First, she supposed, she should eat something, and then she should try to find out what babies eat. With a shrug, Elphaba drank a glass of munchkinberry juice, and ate OzDust crackers. OzDust crackers were actually quite expensive, but her father got them for free, being the governor. After eating, Elphaba began wondering if she should get carrots for Nessarose. But she didn't have teeth. So should she get her mashed potato? Elphaba walked over to the library, and pushed a chair to the shelf. There, she climbed the chair, and grabbed a book titled Baby Food; Munchkinland Resources.

It was in sections from premature to three years old. This bothered Elphaba; _she _was three years old, and she was most certainly not a baby! Still, she reminded herself to stay focused, and she began looking at premature. Apparently, cow milk would be good. With a shrug, Elphaba tucked the book under her left arm, and poured cow milk into a blue bottle. Then, she walked back upstairs. Nessarose was still sleeping, so Elphaba set the book down, and left the bottle of milk on her green table, and took out her blue markers. Nessarose's walls were pale blue, so dark blue would go good with it. Her side said in large, emerald letters, "ELPHABA". Soon, Nessarose's side would say "NESSAROSE." elphaba quickly set to work.

An hour later, Nessarose's side was complete. Elphaba smiled, and as she walked over to get a drink of water, she heard a sigh, She turned to see Nessarose looking up at her with large, brown eyes. Elphaba smiled, and walked over to her. "How are you, beautiful butterfly?" she asked, picking Nessarose up, and walking to her own bed, where she grabbed the bottle. Nessarose began sucking on it greedily, and Elphaba was delighted that she liked it. After a few more minutes, Nessarose slowly fell back asleep, and Elphaba set her on the crib. Elphaba changed into her pajamas and walked over to bed.

_I hope I'll make you proud, Mama. I'll try, I promise. I'll take care of beautiful butterfly. Just try to help me too, please._

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**A/N: So, how's that? I'm sorry if it's slow, but I'm doing a retelling of Wicked, and what happens after! And, I guess, what happened before. xD Please review! By the way, Vanessa really does mean butterfly, and rose really does mean beautiful! I promise I'll explain more later; the importance of why Elphaba is right handed, and all the extra stuff that's really random! Next chapter comes some little Galinda, which is gonna be fun to write, I bet! This is my first long Wicked story! Hope it's good! ~xMegxGiryx By the way, Happy Fourth of July, Americans! Happy Wednesday (I think it's Wednesday, I don't have my days straight during summer!) to all the rest of the world! Oh, any suggestions for a good title? I can't think!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: There's really no other way to say it: I don't own Wicked. Well, I guess I could make a typo, as usual, and say "I odn't own Wicked." Whether it's odn't or don't, the point is clear: Wicked is not mine,**

**Chapter 3**

Galinda Upland sat outside, watching the sun sink below the horizon. Her legs hung over the swing she was sitting on, and she shook them slightly, because being too still wouldn't be right. With a small, dramatic sigh, she took out a bottle of strawberry perfume, and balanced it on her knee. The pink perfume rocked back and forth for a moment, before coming to stop, and Galinda giggled in delight.

"Galinda, come in before the sun goes down!" Momsie called to her from the kitchen, which was just behind her. The window was open, and she could see Momsie walking around, and taking out lettuce, and meat. The meat was for Momsie and Popsicle; the salad was for her.

"Yessie, Momsie!" Galinda called back, and opened her perfume bottle. Strawberry was her favorite scent. It was so sweet, and just lovely. She waved it in front of her nose, and inhaled deeply. "Mmmmm..."

Her small, pink dress clung to her, and her golden curls were all over. She'd spent a nice day climbing trees and wishing she could fly. However, she'd already tried that last year. The result had been a broken arm. Momsie and Popsicle had decided not to leave her by herself anymore, as she was "a bit silly", as Popsicle called it. Galinda didn't know what this meant.

Smiling at the bottle, and focusing her gray eyes on the perfume, she felt the wind pick up around her. After a moment, a small bubble rose from the perfume, floated next to her ear and popped. She began giggling in delight, loud enough so that Momsie came to the window and smiled down at Galinda. Momsie looked just like her, only she had blue eyes, not gray.

"What is it, Lindie?"

"Momsie!" Galinda squealed, with all her six year old might. "Momsie, I made a bubble from the perfume!"

"A bubble?" Momsie looked confused, so Galinda shifted around, and jumped off the chair. She shook the bottle in front of Momsie's eyes, and nodded, excitedly. "Yes, Momsie, a bubble! Isn't it amazingifying?"

"I don't understand, Lindie. That's perfume. Did you shake it around, and did little bubbles form on the surface?"

Galinda sighed in exasperation. Momsie simply didn't _get _it. "No, Momsie. I mean, I opened the bottle, and was holding it, and a bubble came out, and popped behind my ear!"

Instead of congratulating her, Momsie shook her head, and looked at Galinda strangely. "Maybe, Lindie, you should come in for dinner now. You must be hungry."

Galinda nodded quickly, dashing to the door, opening it, and running into Momsie's arms. "Yes, I am hungry! No meat for me, right?"

"No, Lindie. Salad. Now go for a bath, and come down in half an hour. Your father will be here by then for dinner. Then you need to start on your homework, I'll help you, okay?"

Galinda nodded excitedly, her dirty curls bouncing with her, and she set the bottle on the table, and dashed up the stairs.

Once upstairs, Galinda ran to her bed, and under the pink silk pillows, pulled out her pink silk pajamas. For Galinda, everything was pink silk. Or sink pilk. Sometimes, she got confused. With her pajamas, she ran to her bathroom (with pink silk rugs, although Popsicle told her to try not to get them wet, as they had been custom made with her name on them) and turned on the hot water. Then, she put on her pink bathing suit (Momsie asked her _why, _but Galinda was horrified at the idea of being in the shower with nothing on) and climbed into the tub. With her right hand, she reached for the bottle of strawberry bath bubbles, and dumped the whole thing into the bath. A moment later, bubbles floated around her.

"Bubble!" Galinda loved bubbles. She had always wanted to touch one, to hold one, to stick her finger inside it and see how it would feel, but they always popped. Galinda wanted a bubble that wouldn't pop so she could touch it and see how it felt, but Popsicle always reminded her that it was unlikely, unless the Wizard told her how to. She had nodded happily, but Popsicle told her that she needed to be a witch to see the Wizard. This let all the hope out of Galinda; she couldn't even read, yet, at six, and although countless tutors had attempted to make it work, Galinda simply didn't like to read.

After a few more minutes of watching bubbles, Galinda stood up, and turned the water on, quickly taking a shower, and then wrapped herself in her pink towel. She shivered slightly, as the cool air ran against her bare skin. She took off her bathing suit, put on her pajamas, and ran to her room, where she grabbed her brush with her right hand, and began running it through her curls. She had always wanted straight hair. Not because she didn't like her own hair, but she wanted to see what it felt like. Did it feel different than wavy or curly hair, she wondered?

"Lindie, dinner!"

"Coming!"

Galinda set her brush down, put on her bunny slippers, and ran down the stairs. That was all Galinda ever did; run, play with bubbles, run, brush her hair, and run. When she went down the stairs, she didn't pay attention to where she was going, and ran into Popsicle, who caught her, and steadied her, before chuckling.

"Well, if it isn't little Lindie. Go on ahead, with your mother, and I'll set my things down upstairs and join you in a moment." he said, while kissing her head, and running his fingers through her wet curls. Galinda bobbed her head up and down, smiling widely, and ran to the dining room. There, she sat on her usual chair, with a little footrest made of pink silk because she was so short she couldn't reach the ground. There, she glanced down at her plate, and was pleased to see a salad. However, Momise and Popsicle's plates were filled with animal meat, and Galinda wrinkled her nose. She began picking up her fork with her right hand, but stopped, and instead reached over for a drink of her strawberry juice. She then wiped her mouth with her sleeve, and waited for Momsie and Popsicle who appeared moments later.

"So, Lindie, how was your day?" Popsicle asked, cutting his meat. Galinda looked down, and began eating her lettuce, as usual. She swallowed, because Popsicle had to remind her of her manners, and said "Good. I made a bubble."

Popsicle looked at Galinda for a moment, before nodding. "I'm sure you did, dear."

"I did."

Popsicle nodded again, and kept on eating, Galinda did the same, and Momsie broke the silence.

"She also ran up the stairs a few hundred times."

Popsicle gave a dry laugh, and said "Yes, our daughter _is _good at that. If only she would learn to read and do mathematics, too."

"Popsicle!" Galinda whined, stabbing a baby tomato with her fork and sending it flying. "I try! But I'm not as smarticle as you and Momsie! You are big Upper Uplands. I'm a little Upper Upland."

Popsicle nodded at Galinda, regret in his eyes. "Yes, I know you try, Lindie. You try very hard."

Galinda nodded, a satisfactory grin on her face, and drank more strawberry juice. She kept on eating her salad, and drinking her juice. Momsie and Popsicle exchanged worried glances, but Galinda wasn't worried herself. Probably just her parents had trouble at work, whatever it was Popsicle did. When she was finished, Galinda hopped off her chair, dusted her pajamas off, and announced she would be going to her bedroom. Momsie frowned for a moment, before agreeing, and telling her to get her school supplies ready for homework. Galinda nodded with a sigh, and was out of the room in a moment.

* * *

"That's not normal," Mr. Upland hissed at Aimee Upland, as soon as Galinda disappeared. "Normal children can read by now, and they don't spend so much time running or playing with _bubbles_!" Just like his daughter, his gray eyes grew darker with each passing word.

Aimee tried to soothe her husband. "She's only six. I didn't learn to read until I was, well, five. I'm sure she could manage it if she tried, though. But for Oz's sake, she spends so much time brushing her hair and doing things like that."

Mr. Upland nodded, and put his glasses back on. Then, scratching his head, he pushed away from the table, kissed his wife, and went upstairs to do work. Aimee was left alone for a moment, before she took the dishes for a maid to wash, and went upstairs to help Galinda with her homework.

* * *

"Hi, Lindie. What do we have today?"

Galinda looked up from her rows of pink pencils, all with her name, and smiled a big smile at Momsie. Momsie returned the smile, and sat beside Galinda at her desk. She had a worksheet, with the number one on it. But she didn't know what to do.

"Listen, Lindie, you need to trace the number one, then write it out for yourself. Watch me." Momsie took a pencil, and with neat, small handwriting, wrote a perfect number one. Galinda nodded, and picked up the closest pencil with her right hand, and slowly began copying Momsie's. She thought it was perfect, and Momsie seemed pleased.

Galinda kept on writing the one, and her writing got steadier and steadier. She looked at Momsie periodically, who kept her concentrated on writing, and kept smiling encouragingly. Galinda assumed this meant she was doing well, so she kept on going

"Only a little wobbly, Lindie, you're getting better! Now, I'm going to go get a glass of water, so stay here until I get back, okay?"

Galinda nodded, and kept on tracing the ones. However, with Momsie gone, it was harder to concentrate. She gazed out her balcony, and saw a bubble. It was a small bubble, but still, it was a bubble. Galinda "ooh"ed and stood up, walking to her balcony door. She reached for the handle, and tried to turn it, but it was locked. She glared at the handle, and said "Open, please. I want to get out." When she tried to open it again, the door opened, and Galinda stepped outside.

She gasped. It was suprising. There were so many hills and pretty things outside. Forgetting about the bubble, Galinda went forward, hypnotized by the pretty, colorful air. She didn't notice the railing, and climbed over it absent-mindedly. It wasn't until she was balanced on the railing, that she heard Popsicle scream her name. Surprised, Galinda whirled around, and lost her balance, almost falling back. If Popsicle hadn't been there to grab her, and pull her up, she would have fallen and become a splat of Galindaness on the ground.

"Sweet Oz, Galinda, what were you doing? Were you trying to get yourself killed? You know we keep this locked up, why did you come out here?"

Galinda looked, confused, at the railing. She wasn't sure what had just happened. Looking into her Popsicle's eyes, the same gray color as her, she explained. "I-I saw a bubble, and I wanted to touch it. So I opened the door, and saw how pretty everything was. Then, well, I sort of wanted to float out there so I climbed over the railing thingy."

Popsicle looked terrified, and a moment later, Momsie appeared, looking worried. "What happened?"

"I climbed the railing," Galinda said proudly, pointing at it. But then, I almost fell over, so Popsicle had to catch me."

Momsie's face turned white, and she immediately scooped Galinda up, patting her all over her body. Popsicle looked at Momsie, and whispered, "Is she okay? No injuries?"

"What's an injuries?" Galinda wanted to know, squirming away from Momsie's hands, who looked relieved at Popsicle.

"No injuries," Momsie said slowly, before looking at the door. "Galinda, how did you get out here? You know we don't let you!"

Galinda nodded slowly, feeling guilty. She _wasn't _allowed out here, and she knew it, but the bubble had been floating. And Galinda wanted to touch it.

"I don't know how I got out here. You said you would get water, Momsie, so I kept on going, but then I couldn't concentrate. I looked out here, and I saw another bubble, just like today, earlier. So I tried to open the door, but it was locked. Then, I tried to open it again, and it opened. I don't know why. I came out, and climbed the railing."

"Oh, Galinda." Popsicle hugged Galinda and then looked at his wife. "Why didn't the lock work?"

Momsie just stared at Popsicle back in surprise. "I'm not sure," she said. Galinda curiously looked between them, as she didn't know what they were talking about. All she wanted was to go to sleep now. The day had been long, and she yawned widely, and settled herself into Popsicle's arms.

* * *

Galinda yawned and made her way into Mr. Upland's arms. He held his little Lindie, and watched as she closed her pale lavender eyelids, and long lashes, just like her mother's. He sighed, and looked at Aimee Upland warily. "Is she done with everything?" he asked, shifting Galinda into a more comfortable position. Aimee nodded, and wiped her eyes, leaving him alone with his little daughter. His little, trouble prone daughter. Mr. Upland asked himself if Galinda was being funny, or trying to get a laugh, but she seemed to seriously not understand that jumping off a balcony would be dangerous. Nervously, he pulled the covers back, and the canopy of her bed, and set her down, before turning on the light. Then, he walked over to Aimee, to tell her to spend the night with Galinda, and make sure she didn't almost get herself killed again.

* * *

**Author's Note: Yes, I know I'm bad! This chapter is tiny, but I didn't know what to write to make it longer! I apologize if I spell "Galidna" for "Galinda". Unfortunately, spell check thinks both Galinda anf Galidna are "wrong", so it marks them both wrong, and I can't tell the difference between them very well! I also learned that I can't spell lavender and disappeared. But now I can! So, anyway, I'm sorry if I made Galinda too weird, but in this story, I want her to be innocent, childlike, and sort of, well, a bit slow, because it'll tie in with the overall story. She's a surprisingly fun character to write, though! Reviews are love! Thank you all! ~xMegxGiryx**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

**Disclaimer: Look at that! I own Wicked! I just got this official looking paper saying I own Wicked! Oh, yes, I'm so special- oh wait. It says I _don't_ own Wicked. It also says to dream on, because I'll never own Wicked.**

* * *

"Wait, what?"

Nessarose was sitting by her side of the room, with a journal on her lap, wide open, just like Elphaba, sitting at the other side of the room. They were directly in front of each other, but about ten feet apart. Elphaba was holding her green journal, while Nessarose held her blue journal. She had been writing in it intensely for the past five minutes, and didn't notice Elphaba had called her until right now.

"Oz to Nessa. I asked if you were bored."

"Not bored, Elphaba, how could I be bored, with the greatest caretaker ever?"

Elphaba smiled, and Nessa giggled. Elphaba was twelve, and Nessa, nine. In all of her nine years on Oz, Elphaba had been the greatest sister anyone could ask for. Elphaba was a bit different from Nessarose, but they were actually quite alike in some ways. Overall, they fit together perfectly. They never annoyed each other, because they were both quiet, and preferred reading to playing outside and such. They were also quite ahead with studies, than the other children of their age. However, the only physical appearance that matched was their dark brown eyes. Both girls had almond shaped dark brown eyes, that twinkled in the light.

But Elphaba had a sarcastic sense of humor, quick to reply back to those showing rudeness. Nessarose, on the other hand, never understood if people were teasing her, or if they honestly meant kindness. To avoid doing the wrong thing, she always kept her sweet personality intact, and thanked everyone. Elphaba sometimes got annoyed at her for this, but Nessarose reminded her to be nice.

"You'd be surprised, Nessa, are you sure you don't want to go and play, um, outside with the sun and the... fresh air and butterflies?"

Nessarose cringed at the exact same moment as Elphaba, and they both laughed. It was no secret that they couldn't go outside, even if they wanted to. As important as the Governor of Munchkinland might be, munchkins couldn't simply ignore a green girl wheeling a crippled girl. They stared. And each girl had a different reaction. Elphaba sneered and yelled "What are you staring at?", while Nessarose burst into tears and hid her face. Then Elphaba got angrier at the passerby, and yelled some more, and Nessarose cried harder. It was an endless cycle that neither girl enjoyed.

"I wonder how Father feels. You know, since we both came sort of wrong." Nessarose said, closing her journal and setting it on her table. Elphaba copied her, and then shook her head at Nessarose.

"No, we didn't. You're perfect, you're legs are only tangled and weak. _I'm _green, for goodness sake."

Elphaba stood up and grabbed a mint strip from her table. Nessarose shook her head; whenever she was annoyed or excited, the first thing Elphaba did was have a mint strip. Nessarose, presonally, wasn't a big fan of mint, or any other flavors. Fruits weren't her strong point either. But they weren't Elphaba's either.

"Better this than a banana shake, Nessa. Or a punch with lemons and melons and pears," Elphaba said, smirking as she referred to a party Father had hosted several years ago, with Animals serving the horrible punch. Both Nessarose and Elphaba had spent the following day sharing the toilet, throwing up their guts, for neither wanted to leave the other one alone. It had been quite crowded, in Nessarose's blue bathroom, for Nessarose, plus her wheelchair, plus Elphaba.

"Definitely. Don't remind me, Elphaba. I was just getting hungry."

Elphaba immediately perked up, at the sound of Nessarose's voice. "You're hungry?"

"Not anymore," Nessarose teased, puffing out her cheeks and pretending to throw up into the floor. Elphaba shot her a dark look, and said, "Not funny, Nessa."

To Nessarose, it was very funny, but she nodded, with a straight face. "Of course, Miss Elphaba. Not funny. Although, I am a _little _hungry..."

As quick as lightning, Elphaba rushed behind Nessarose and began carrying her out of her wheelchair. When going downstairs, Elphaba found it a hustle to take both Nessarose and her chair down, and insisted on carrying Nessarose down. Although she was by no means fat, Elphaba was rather tall, and had plenty of muscle. Not only that, but she wore no corset, so she wouldn't run out of air. Nessarose privately agreed; she had attempted to wear a corset once, and one could simply not breathe out of that thing. And even though Nessarose knew she weighed fifty pounds, it was still unsettling to have her sister carry her down.

"No, Elphaba! Please let me crawl down the stairs! You don't even need legs to go down the stairs."

"I know you don't need legs to go down the stairs, Nessa. And no offense, but you have legs. They just don't work. But hey, I'm the freak here, not you. I'm green. So, I'm carrying you down because I'm your big sister."

Nessarose groaned. She hated feeling helpless. Just like Elphaba and Father, she also had an unhealthy amount of pride. And letting Elphaba carry her down was simply too humiliating for her. Her face flushed red, and she felt relief when Elphaba finally set her down at the dining room.

A few minutes later, Elphaba returned with carrots and ranch, and two glasses of water. Nessarose gave her a big grin, before reaching over and grabbing a carrot and dipping it in ranch. Father normally sat at the other side (it was a long and thin table, with two seats on each side, making four in total) by himself, and Nessarose and Elphaba sat at their side. Nessarose always sat at the left, and Elphaba at the right. It was a pain when they were writing in their journals and their hands collided with each other. Nessarose, being left handed, sat to the left, where she could have space, and Elphaba likewise.

"Elphaba," Nessarose said suddenly, noticing Elphaba's water, which wasn't completely clear, as her own glass. "Did you put something in your water?"

Elphaba swallowed her current carrot, before nodding, and shook her glass slightly. The strange coloring inside it cleared, nearly, leaving Nessarose more confused.

"It's mint extract, with green food coloring. Father couldn't find the clear kind. Not that he tried. But I shouldn't be complaining. At least he got me it."

Nessarose nodded, and felt curiosity stir up in her. Elphaba loved mint, she knew, and she herself didn't like it very much, but she supposed it wasn't as bad as other things. "Um, Elphaba? Do you think... I mean, could I...?" she gestured to the water.

Elphaba looked surprised, but only for a moment. "Uh, yeah. here." She handed the glass to Nessarose, who raised it to her lips and tasted it. It actually had the potential of tasting decent, if only Elphaba hadn't poured the whole entire thing of mint extract in there.

"G-goodness, Elphaba! Wh-what did you do, just put it in there and forget water?"

Elphaba laughed, and shook her head. "I could fix yours, Nessa, so you'd like it. I _do _know how to cook, you know. Father's never here. I personally like it tasting like mint, so I added a generous amount of mint. You have a sweeter taste, though. I'm guessing three drops and one fourth of a spoon of sugar-"

"How much mint is in there, Elphaba?"

"Well, maybe the better question is how much water is in there. A teaspoon of water. The rest is mint. But I promise I'll fix yours, Nessie, please let me try!"

Nessarose frowned. On one hand, the mint did have a nice quality to it. But on the other hand, the stuff was too, well, cold. It made her insides freeze. But Elphaba looked so eager to please, so Nessarose couldn't help but nod.

"Be right back, Nessie!"

A few moments later, Elphaba reappeared, and the water looked exactly the same as it had a moment ago. Nessarose stared at it skeptically, unwilling to believe Elphaba had fixed it so fast. It just wasn't possible.

"What? Elphaba, you can't be serious! You took like thirty seconds."

"Which is quite enough for me. Just try it, Nessa, please!"

Nessarose nodded, and brought the glass to her lips. True, Elphaba was a wonderful vegetarian cook, but after all, she had also just dumped the whole bottle of mint extract into her glass and drank it. Nervously, Nessarose took a sip.

It was nothing like she had expected! It was a perfect combination of sweet and fresh. Nessarose looked at the glass for a moment, before looking back at Elphaba. Elphaba frowned. "D-don't you like it?" she asked, her face falling visibly.

"No! No! It's marvelous, Elphaba, it tastes really good! Thank you, really," Nessarose smiled up at her and hugged her. Elphaba smiled and then picked up Nessarose, who immediately groaned. "Oh, Elphaba. Why can't you let me crawl up the stairs?"

Elphaba smirked, something she was very good at. "What would the neighbors think, Nessa?"

"They would think that I let you do everything for me! Which I do! But I don't want them to know that."

Elphaba rolled her eyes and set Nessarose on her wheelchair, once upstairs. "What now?" she asked simply, watching Nessarose, who shrugged. Elphaba decided to give her a list of options. "Well, we could... wait, did you hear that? I think Father's home," she sighed. Nessarose immediately felt bad. Father always praised her and ignored Elphaba. Their suspicions were proved correct, when a moment later, Father walked into the room, smiling at Nessarose.

"Hi, Father," Nessarose said, blushing, and Elphaba muttered a "Father", before sitting cross legged on her bed.

"My little Nessarose, I've brought you colored headbands for your beautiful hair. Have you had your food yet? I know you never have a specific eating time, you eat with no schedule."

"Yes, Father, Elphaba gave me carrots and ranch, you know I love that."

"Is that all you ate?" He turned to Elphaba for the first time, who had kept her gaze down the whole time. "Don't you ever give any other food to your sister?"

Nessarose turned completely red, which was easy, with her milky white skin. Elphaba lowered her head some more.

"I'm sorry, Nessa. I should've insisted with something more. I promise I'll do better next time, Father."

"No! No, Elphaba, no, you didn't do anything wrong. Father, really, Elphaba's been great, she's always so nice to me, and she taken very good care of me. Please, Father, it's not Elphaba's fault."

Both Elphaba and Father turned to look at Nessarose, who turned even more red, if possible, and turned away. The room was silent for a moment, and then Father cleared his throat, and turned towards the door. "I forgot to tell you both, we have a reunion tonight, with several of my partners from work. It begins at eight, so please, look presentable, girls. I mean, with the corsets, this time." With that, he turned and left, leaving Nessarose and Elphaba both open mouthed, staring after him in shock.

"Can we get out of it?" Nessarose begged to Elphaba, for Father's little reunion parties involved wearing a fancy dress prone to picking up dirt, and putting their hair up formally, and wearing _corsets. _They were only girls, but Father wanted them to look decent. Not only that, but they had to smile and be respectful, despite the guests staring at them for being different.

"Maybe we can say we ate some bad carrots..." Elphaba began, quickly thinking. They both absolutely hated the parties, but Father insisted so.

"But we looked fine now, he'll wonder why we didn't look sick earlier... Or we can say we had punch with lemons and melons and pears-"

But they were broken off from their frantic brainstorming when Father appeared at their door again, this time holding two long dresses covered with plastic. Both girls groaned in unison.

"Planning something? It's only one night, come on. Here, Fabala, I've got you this dress, so don't get it dirty. My little Nessa, here's your dress. Inside is everything included. With the corsets."

"Oh, Father, please, we don't-"

"Nessie, please, I just hear your conversation." Father winked at Nessarose who stared helplessly at the dress in her hands. She was sure it would be even worse when she pulled off the plastic over it.

"Father, we had carrots today and-"

"Fabala, I'm not an idiot, and don't you take me for one. You and Nessarose will fix yourselves up. And you better hurry, it's six now."

He closed the door and left, and Elphaba briefly considered running out of the house and hiding until the party was over. She glanced over at the window, and noticed Nessarose was doing the same thing. "Could we get out through the-"

"I don't know," Elphaba interrupted, jumping up, and throwing the window open. "We're about twenty feet up from the ground, I think we could manage it with only a broken leg. If we threw our pillows to cushion the fall, I'd say it's possible," Elphaba said quickly, looking around the room. But as she was doing that, she heard a call from the window. It was Father.

"And close that window, Fabala, I know what you and Nessa are thinking!"

Elphaba collapsed on her bed in defeat. Nessarose buried her face in her hands. They were quiet for a moment, before looking at each other, then the dresses, then groaning again.

"Well, I don't know how to say this, Nessa, but we're sort of screwed."

Nessarose nodded wordlessly, and grabbed her dress package in defeat. Father had said it had everything, so she only assumed it had her underwear too, and everything. Setting her box with the headbands on her bed, Nessarose began wheeling herself to her bathroom. It had been constructed for her, and Nessarose thanked goodness that Elphaba didn't have to help her, because she would die from embarrassment.

Back at the bedroom, Elphaba cursed goodness and snatched her stupid dress package. She stormed into her own bathroom, and began taking a shower.

* * *

An hour later, Nessarose wheeled into the empty room, wearing a light blue dress, that went down to her knees. It was fanned out, and made of velvet, with a white corset that went over her stomach. To the top, it was strapless, complimented with a gold necklace with a blue jewel in the center. The shoes were beautiful, though, Nessarose had to admit; small heels, that were closed toe, with a ribbon in the center. Her caramel colored hair was now a brown color, however, so she sat by her window, so it would dry faster. A moment later, Elphaba charged in, saying some rather interesting words.

"Can you believe this, Nessa?" Nessarose stared at Elphaba. She had on a dress that was the same design as her own, only everything, including the corset, was black. Actually, Nessarose thought Elphaba looked rather beautiful, but she agreed with what Elphaba was referring to. Father really _had _gone a bit overboard.

"I know. And how tight are these corsets? You can't even breathe in them! Or bend over, for that matter," Nessarose said, as she tried to loosen her stiff figure. Impossible, with a corset.

"Well, Father will be Father. Come on, we need to dry our hair and do something with it."

Nessarose sighed, and began blow drying her hair, while Elphaba continued to grumble about her dress. After their hair was neatly combed, and dry, Elphaba inspected Nessarose fully for the first time since entering the room.

"You look very pretty, Nessie," Elphaba said, wondering how bad _she _must look in the dress. It went very well with Nessarose, but Elphaba could only imagine how horrible she must look. With a sigh, she began to pull her hair back, from both sides. Honestly, Elphaba liked her hair _enough_, to keep it long, but she would keep it in a braid, as that was the best. But for Father, she agreed to pull it back from both sides. But the glasses were not negotiable. She slipped them on.

"You look beautiful, Elphaba," Nessarose told her honestly, while simply staring at her hair. What would she do with the limp caramel strands?

"Mhm, yeah, I look magnificent, I should be Mizz Shiz."

Elphaba scowled at her dress. Nessarose looked up, and looked at Elphaba for a moment. "Actually, yes, it's possible, Fabala, because you _do _look really pretty."

After a few moments of silence, the doorbell rang, and both girls had a different reaction. Elphaba threw a pillow at the ground and Nessarose tensed up, afraid that everyone would stare at her. "Well, we can go down now," Elphaba said flatly, and began wheeling Nessarose to the stairs. Once there, she picked her up and then the wheelchair, and took her down. Father was at the other side, behind the staircase, where Elphaba could hear people. She set Nessarose on her chair, and began wheeling her towards the door, where both girls stood (Well, Nessarose sat) stiffly, and trying to put a smile on their faces unsuccessfully. The first guests, a middle aged couple, entered the hall, while Father led them courteously.

"And these are my daughters, Nessarose and Elphaba..."

The look of shock on their faces was immediate. Elphaba understood, but the staring was annoying. She smiled brightly at them, and stuck her hand out, her green hand. "Hi, I'm Elphaba. Nice to meet you."

The couple stared at her in shock for a couple of seconds, before the man straightened himself out, and nodded. "Pleasure, Elphaba. I'm Wox." Elphaba gave him points for straightening out so fast, but noticed that he didn't touch her hand.

"Yes," Father said, glancing at Elphaba, before turning to Nessarose. "And this is my other daughter, Nessarose."

The fact that they seemed to like her better didn't go unnoticed by Elphaba. Nessarose blushed, and rose her head, offering a weak smile. "I'm Nessarose," she said keeping her hands at her lap.

"Pleased to meet you too, Miss Nessarose," Wox said kindly, before turning to his wife who looked ready to faint any moment. "Frex, if you don't mind, we'll be at the living room." he said pointedly, and Father nodded, before turning back to Elphaba and Nessarose. Elphaba looked at Father with a sarcastic smile, while Nessarose looked at Father with tears in her eyes from embarrassment.

"Listen, maybe you _shouldn't _be down here. Go up, you too, I'll see you in the morning," he said, looking amused at the twin sighs of relief from both girls. He did look rather ashamed, too, and Elphaba thought that was rude. He was their father, after all. "Good night, my little Nessa," he said, kissing the top of her head. "And good night, Fabala," he added, while he was turning away. Once they saw that he was gone, the girls turned to look at each other, before laughing from their luck.

"Oh, Elphaba, can you believe our luck?"

"What I can't believe is that it only took one couple this time! Maybe he won't make us come down next time," Elphaba grinned, carrying Nessarose upstairs. Once in their room, they looked at the locked door, looked at each other, then sighed, and fell backwards on their beds.

* * *

**Author's Note: Good? Bad? Swankified? Please tell me! That little button down there, the one that says "Review"... Yeah, you should click it. So, anyway, I wanted to say a few things about this chapter. I'm sure I'll forget something, but let me try to remember. First, it's musical based, but I did borrow Elphaba and Nessarose's nicknames from the book, Fabala and Nessie. Also, about the opposite hands... I didn't make Elphaba right handed for this reason, but I thought it'd make Nessarose and Elphaba closer if they both sat on a specific side due to handedness. Oh, I also know this chapter was pointless, but it'll be a good reference for later chapters. Ex: "Remember when...?" So, I'm done with the author's note that's longer than the story, and please help me come up with a name for this! I don't know what to name this story!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

**Disclaimer: Guess who doesn't own Wicked? This girl!**

* * *

"Well, Nessie, are you ready for Shiz?"

"No."

Elphaba sat at the right side of the carriage, looking out the window. Father was riding a horse, at the front. He said he needed excercise, but he didn't fool Elphaba. She knew perfectly well that he didn't trust a driver to get his perfect little Nessarose to school, but at the same time, he didn't want to be in the carriage with them. Not that Elphaba wanted to be in the same carriage as Father.

Elphaba had finished her studies three years ago, and she had requested to go to the university. Her first choice, of course, had been Shiz. But Shiz was a school for, well, rich people. Since Father would not do with Elphaba going off to Shiz even though she had a full scholarship from the Emerald City itself, she had to stay home with Nessarose for three years, until Nessarose had caught up. _Now _they would be going to Shiz. Elphaba highly doubted that if Nessarose hadn't wanted to go to Shiz, that Father would have let her. Thankfully, though, Nessarose did want to go to Shiz. Elphaba, at eighteen, would be considered a younger person to go to Shiz, but there would be more eighteen year olds. More likely, it would be filled with Ozians around the age of twenty, but there would certainly be some eighteen year olds. But fifteen year olds? Elphaba knew it was extremely unlikely that there would be any fifteen year olds, and she had refrained from telling Nessarose this.

"Will anyone like me? Do you think? Elphaba, what if nobody likes me? Is this uniform normal enough?"

Secretly, Elphaba wanted to put on a normal uniform, and fit in, but she was _green. _She had to stick to dark blue, a dark blue dress, with a coat over it. And her typical braid, and a dark blue hat. Well, at least it didn't crash too horribly with her skin. Nessarose looked beautiful, as always, but she would look a lot better without that nervous expression on her face. She had on the "normal" uniform, consisting of a long blue skirt, and a white long buttoned shirt. With a white and blue striped vest on top. She looked very cute, but unfortunately, she also looked _very _young. Not quite fifteen.

"Nessa, you can't expect everyone to like you all the time. You need to remember that most girls your age are still in high school." Elphaba explained uncomfortably, shifting her legs, and putting her braid to her side. If Nessarose wanted the honest truth, Elphaba didn't think anyone would talk to Nessarose much. Not only was Nessarose a fifteen year old girl, but she was in a wheelchair, and she had quite a quiet personality. Shiz would be filled with blonde brats running around talking about something ridiculous like shoes.

Nessarose stuck out her lower lip, and Elphaba suddenly felt bad. She took off her glasses for a moment, wiped them, and put them back on. "Not that no one's going to like you. They'll see you're the prettiest, nicest girl, and everyone will like you!" Elphaba's lie surprised her. She knew she was lying through her teeth. But Nessarose seemed to believe it, for a moment. Like Elphaba, she had a habit with messing with things when she was nervous. Elphaba constantly wiped her glasses, fixed her coat, undid and fixed her braid, and Nessarose was learning from her. She took off her dark blue headband, and put it back on.

"I hope they do like me. And I hope there's other girls my age. At least one. Elphaba, what did you decide to major in?"

Elphaba frowned. Now that she thought about it, she hadn't filled up an application. So, what _was _going to be her major? If she had her own choice, she'd like something where she could work alongside the Wizard, maybe, and help Oz become a better place. Maybe an Animal right activist. She pursed her lips, and shrugged at Nessarose, while popping a piece of mint gum in her mouth. "Tell me about your major again?" She had been hoping to distract Nessarose, and it worked. Nessarose sat up straighter, and her eyes lit up.

"Well, I wasn't sure what to choose at first, but Elphaba, I got accepted for performing arts! Can you believe it? I didn't, not at first! The video audition was hard, but I suppose they must have liked me! I thought they wouldn't choose a crippled person for their performing arts program, but they really did mean it when they said they wouldn't discriminate for handicaps!"

_Yeah... Or they just wanted the Governor of Munchkinland's daughter..., _Elphaba thought, annoyed, but she didn't voice her opinion. Nessarose did have a beautiful voice, and they enjoyed singing duets. In fact, Elphaba might have auditioned for performing arts as a minor had she received an application. She remembering helping Nessarose do her video audition. It had gone well, but Elphaba didn't think Nessarose would make it. First off, Nessarose was extremely young, and even though she had fantastic marks, she was a high school aged girl. Not only that, but Nessarose didn't have a powerful voice. Certainly, her voice was beautiful, but not loud, as performing arts called for. It had a soft quality to it, too sweet to sound any older than a young girl's voice.

"Oh, well, we're here , Nessie." Elphaba looked out her carriage, and noticed a sign saying "Shiz Univeristy: half a mile. You're about to start on the journey of your lives!"

Nessarose immediately went stiff, and gathered her small, white tote bag. Elphaba had an identical one, but it was dark blue. Inside, they had their journals and pencils and things.

The first view of the university was just at the next turn. Elphaba gasped and heard Nessarose do the same thing. The first thing she noticed was that the grass was the exact same color as her skin, but quickly moved on to different thoughts. Like the fact that the campus was giant. Students dressed in blue and white strolled around, holding registration papers, and shaking hands. And, just as she had predicted, there was no one who looked fifteen. And there were no green people either. Just normal colored. She sighed, as she glanced at two girls holding pink luggage. They were both tall, and obviously popular. One had a sort of white blonde hair, and blue eyes, and the other had dark skin, that went beautiful with her green eyes. Perfect people.

The carriage lurched to a stop, and Elphaba instinctively grabbed Nessarose's arm. A moment later, Nessarose's side was opened, and Father looked in.

"Nessie, are you all right? Was the ride too long?"

"I'm fine, Father."

"Very well," he said, looking around the carriage. Each girl only had one small suitcase, and their totes. Of course, Nessarose's wheelchair was pushed against the wall. "Elphaba, go on, and Nessa and I will catch up to you in a moment. Don't call attention to yourself." Elphaba nodded, and squeezed Nessarose's hand one more time, before walking towards the campus. Immediately, heads turned and watched her every move. She turned her head, only to find more stares. Well, it wasn't as if she hadn't expected this. So she thrust out her chin, and walked forward, her brown boots making walking feel awkward.

She came to the giant doors, opened wide. Students were walking in, to take a look around the large conference room. A moment later, everyone took out a sheet of paper, and began singing the school song. Elphaba didn't have the paper, because she wasn't even sure if she was registered, but she knew the words by heart. She always wanted to come to Shiz University. Some students were lined up at the side, with microphones in front of them. Elphaba supposed they were the performing arts majors or something like that. But as she passed next to them, their eyes widened, and they stepped back.

"Oh hallowed halls, and vine draped walls, the proudliest sight there is!

When gray and sere our hair hath turned, we shall still rever the lessons learned,

In our days at dear old Shiz. Our days at dear old-"

Everyone suddenly looked towards the East door, and a moment later, a blonde girl with straight hair rode in, atop piles of suitcases. Everyone gasped, and even Elphaba had to raise her eyebrows. The girl was impossibly pretty, and everyone seemed to like her at once. The girl, who smiled at everyone, cleared her throat to keep the song.

"Oh-oh-ohhhh-ohhhhhl..."

"Dear old Shizzz..."

The blonde girl had stopped upon seeing Elphaba, but quickly regained her composure, and recoiled back a bit, but still held the last "z" far too long, just as the other students. They were all staring at her. But why? So she was green; that didn't mean they had to stare!

"What?" Elphaba snapped defensively, glaring at all of them. The nerve they had to just stand there and look at her! "Oh, do I have something in my teeth?" She knew that this was not possible; she had long ago learned that yellow teeth and green skin didn't go together. But they still stared. Furiously, Elphaba threw her things at the ground next to her, and stormed forward.

"Alright, fine! We might as well get this over with! No, I'm not seasick!" she spat, whirling around. "Yes, I've always been green! No, I didn't eat grass as a child-"

"Elphaba!"

Father seemed to have arrived, and normally, Elphaba would have fallen silent at once, but she wasn't done making her point yet. "This is my younger sister, Nessarose!" She said, wagging her finger at Nessarose, who turned completely white, then red, and looked down. "As you can see, _she's _a perfectly normal color!"

Father noticed Nessarose's embarrassment, and glared at Elphaba, who glared back fiercely. Father had been much ruder to her as of late, and she wasn't happy. He was her superior, but he could show her a little respect! She was eighteen already.

"Elphaba!" he growled, grabbing Elphaba roughly by her arm, and dragging her back. "Stop making a spectacle of yourself!" _Spectacle? I'm not making a spectacle of myself, I _am _a spectacle, and if only they wouldn't stare-_

"Remember; I'm only sending you to this school for one reason."

Elphaba lowered her head slightly. Snapping at Father would get her in trouble, and she already caused enough of that. In a small voice, she nodded, and noticed her glasses were fogging up. "I know. To look after Nessa." Father nodded at Elphaba coldly, before turning back to Nessarose, who was still very red in the face.

"My precious little girl; a parting gift."

He held a wooden box open to her, and her eyes brightened immediately. She took out a magnificent shoe, silver, with jewels all over it. It reflected the colors of the rainbow. Elphaba immediately wanted those shoes. This feeling confused her. She had never been very jealous of Nessarose for receiving gifts from her father, but she wanted _those _shoes. Yes, they would clash with her, but she didn't even want to wear them. She just wanted them.

"Father! Jeweled shoes!" Her gaze with the shoes was interrupted by Nessarose smiling up at Father in delight. Elphaba turned away, so she wouldn't look at those shoes anymore. They were Nessarose's and that was that.

"As befits the future Governor of Munchkinland." Father said, and Elphaba cringed. Being the oldest, she thought she would be the future Governor of Munchkinland, but no, that wouldn't happen. She knew she was being ridiculous even dreaming about it. But, if she were the Governor, she would get closer to the Wizard, and then maybe be able to help Oz.

"Elphaba."

Elphaba turned back to face Father, and her eyes widened. He was holding out the wooden box to her. Could he possibly have gotten shoes for her too? Eagerly, she stepped forward, smiling widely, until he slammed the box shut, and thrust it into her hands. Her smile faded instantly, and out of the corner of her eyes, she saw Nessarose bite her lip.

"Take care of your sister, and try not to talk so much."

With that, he kissed Nessarose's forehead, and walked away, without even another glance at her. Tears burned her eyes, but only for a moment. She didn't care. She was at Shiz, and she would study hard to meet the Wizard! She smiled sarcastically, and stepped next to Nessarose, who looked sadly up at her. "Elphaba..." she whispered, looking up at her.

"Well, what could he have gotten me? I clash with everything," Elphaba said flatly, placing the wooden box on Nessarose's lap. Nessarose looked like she was going to say something, but at that moment, a fish walked in. Elphaba's eyes widened as she realized that it wasn't a very large, fat fish, after all, but a woman who looked quite a bit like one. She looked as if she had just painted her face white, and put on a lot of red lipstick. Maybe some sort of fish clown hybrid.

The woman introduced herself as Madame Morrible, and began welcoming them, and saying how they had the highest hopes for _some _of them. The blonde girl giggled a really annoying giggle, and fixed her white hat, and tossed her hair. Elphaba rolled her eyes. Madame Morrible was inspecting the students, so Elphaba rolled Nessarose forward, and picked up their suitcases, moving to Nessarose's other side.

"Oh, you must be the Governor's daughter! Miss Nessarose, isn't it?" Nessarose seemed to fighting to keep a smile on her face, and leaned away slowly, without offending Madame Morrible. "What a tragically beautiful face you have!"

Yes, well, they could all talk about how beautiful Nessarose was for hours, but they simply didn't have the time. Elphaba stepped forward, to ask of their room assignments. She tapped Madame Morrible on the shoulder, and stepped back expectantly.

"And who is...? Ahhh!"

Madame Morrible had turned to look at Elphaba, and jumped to Nessarose's other side in horror. Elphaba had been expecting this reaction, and smirked. "I'm the other daughter, Elphaba. I'm... beautifully tragic."

Madame Morrible looked Elphaba up and down slowly, as if unsure of what to make of her. Elphaba was extremely tall, possibly one of the tallest students. She stood several inches above Madame Morrible, looking down with a smirk still on her face. "I see. Well, I'm sure you're very bright."

Elphaba was about to make a comment when a voice behind them all rang out. It was the high pitched annoying voice. "Bright? She's phosphorescent!" And to Elphaba's extreme annoyance, all the students laughed along with the blonde girl. Probably a blue eyed airhead. Maybe a cheerleader. She was beautiful, short, and blonde. Elphaba decided to get rid of this girl for good. She marched forward, ready to leave a handprint on her perfect little face, but Nessarose quickly gripped her from behind. Elphaba sighed, and straightened herself. Since both girls had a way of expressing their anger (Elphaba had an extremely quick temper, but it was rare that she truly did anything terrible and Nessarose was _very _hard to anger, but once she was angered, she lost her mind completely. It had only happened once before, but it had been enough for both girls to promise each other to never let them do actions they'd regret.), they both refrained from getting into situations that might cause a problem.

"Now, regarding room assignments," Madame Morrible began, and Elphaba quickly stepped forward, and raised her hand, just as the blonde girl rose her own hand. Madame Morrible sighed, and asked if it was about room assignments. Elphaba opened her mouth to speak, but the blonde girl began with her high pitched voice that made Elphaba cringe.

"No, but thank you for asking Madame Morrible! I've already been assigned a private suite!"

Of course. Rich girl with blonde hair, blue eyes, rich daddy, typicalness. Everyone seemed to like the blonde girl, though. Even Nessarose smiled a little.

"But you can all come visit me whenever you want!"

Not likely, Elphaba thought. Private suites were only assigned to people with serious disabilities, and whether this girl was secretly crippled or on medication, she would be a danger anyway. Elphaba would never step in with her into her room. The two girls Elphaba had seen earlier, outside, both ran next to Blonde Girl, and started making friends quick. "How good of you!" one said. "You are so good!" the other exclaimed.

Blonde Girl, the one who was next to Madame Morrible, quickly denied it in what she must have thought was a modest voice. But Elphaba just rolled her eyes, and Madame Morrible stared at Blonde Girl in amusement. "Do you have a question?" she asked, tapping her foot impatiently.

"Oh, yes!" Blonde Girl said. "You see, I am Galinda Upland." She paused for Madame Morrible to gasp, or show some sort of recognition, but she didn't. Elphaba decided she liked Madame Morrible. The students, however, seemed to know that the Upper Uplands, or Frottica, was an important place. Elphaba knew so too, but she didn't see why it was so important.

"I've applied to your sorcery seminar. Perhaps you recall my entrance essay? 'Magic Wands: Need They Have A Point?'"

Elphaba stifled a giggle, and turned to look at Nessarose, who was staring as if mesmerized at Blonde Girl- that is, Galinda Upland, of the Upper Uplands. What a ridiculous name.

Madame Morrible looked surprised, but quickly shook her head. "Yes, however, I do not teach my seminar every semester. Of course, if someone special were to come along-"

"Well, exactly!" Galinda Upland of the Upper Uplands interjected. But this conversation was pointless. Elphaba cleared her throat, and stepped forward.

"Madame Morrible, we have not yet received our room assignments," Elphaba said.

"The Governor made his concerns for you sister's wellbeing quite apparent." Elphaba nodded. Sounded exactly like Father. "She will share my compartment, where I can assist her as needed."

Wait, what? Elphaba was confused. Father had told her to take care of Nessarose! "But I've always looked after my sister!" Elphaba said, stepping forward. But Nessarose was already reaching for her things, and getting ready to go with Madame Morrible. "Elphaba!" Nessarose exclaimed, looking up in surprise.

"He never mentioned you." Yeah, Father _wouldn't _have mentioned her. "Just a slight gulch, no need to fret, we will find some place to put you." Still, she couldn't take Nessarose away! "But Madame..."

The room was silent, except for Galinda Upland of the Upper Uplands. Elphaba could hear her voice from her spot. It was whining about her stupid essay. And her shallow friends were telling her to say something about it. Just at the same moment, Madame Morrible turned around, and asked which girl would share with Elphaba.

"Madame Morrible-" Everyone turned to look at Galinda Upland of the Upper Uplands as she stepped forward to ask about her stupid essay. But Elphaba realized with horror what Madame Morrible thought. To confirm her suspicions, Madame Morrible turned to Galinda Upland of the Upper Uplands and told her "Thank you, dear! That is very good of you!"

Galinda Upland of the Upper Uplands had an expression of confusion. Of course, it was probably her permanent expression.

"Yes, now you see Miss Elphaba, you can room with Miss Galinda! To your rooms, young ladies!"

Elphaba stood there for moment, until she saw Nessarose being wheeled away. "No, wait!" she called in panic. The students were all starting to leave, but she, Galinda Upland of the Upper Uplands and her two friends remained.

"Elphaba, please, I'll be all right!" Nessarose called to her, offering her a smile. But she couldn't let Nessarose go. "I promised him!" Madame Morrible kept on walking, but no. No. No. Nessarose couldn't go.

"Let her _go_!"

At the word go, Nessarose's wheelchair suddenly spun out of Madame Morrible's grasp, and twisted and turned, until it came back to Elphaba's hands. The whole room seemed to lose its oxygen, and Nessarose was completely white for once, instead of red.

"How did you do that?"

"How did she do that?"

But Elphaba only had one goal, and that was to calm Nessarose, who seemed to be hyperventilating now. She looked at Elphaba, and shrieked, "Elphaba, you promised me things would be different here!"

Madame Morrible stared at Nessarose, as if stunned by her words. Then she turned to Elphaba again. "You mean this has happened before?" she asked, in a hushed whisper, and stared at Elphaba, who nodded in shame.

"Something just comes over me sometimes, it's something I can't describe! I'll try to control myself. I am so sorry, Nessa." Elphaba said, as she leaned down, and tried to take her frightened sister's hand. But Madame Morrible was on her way to tell Elphaba something.

"What? Never apologize for talent!" Elphaba looked up warily, unsure of what the headmistress meant. "Talent is a gift! And that is my special talent, encouraging talent! Have you ever considered a career in sorcery?"

Ephaba paused. She had always wanted to help the Wizard and make Oz a better place, not wave a stupid wand around. "Not really," she admitted, still holding Nessarose's hands. But Nessarose smiled widely at Elphaba, and looked intently at Madame Morrible.

"I shall tutor you privately... and take no other students!"

Galinda Upland of the Upper Uplands's eyes widened, and for that Elphaba had to smile.

"Many years I have waited, for a gift like yours to appear! Why, I predict the Wizard could make you his magic gran vizier!"

Elphaba gasped. the Wizard? This was what she had always wanted! Finally, maybe finally, someone would notice her and she would finally be helping people instead of hurting them! She nodded weakly, while Madame Morrible told her that she would write to the Wizard at once. She barely heard Galinda Upland of the Upper Uplands whine about something. She stood there, by herself, imagining the Wizard and her. They would be unlimited together! Making good, the two of them together.

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**Author's Note: Yes, I know Galinda's description doesn't match, but I'll explain why! Elphaba didn't actually look into Galinda's eyes close enough to realize that her eyes were gray and not blue. This is just one of Elphaba's bias about popular people. Also, yes, Galinda has straight hair in this scene. To be explained in a later chapter! Please read and review!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

**Disclaimer: I'll own Wicked someday. Just not today. **

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Elphaba walked towards her dorm with a sigh. She had finally accepted the fact that Nessarose would room with Madame Morrible, and she would be rooming with Galinda Upland of the Upper Uplands. Classes would begin tomorrow, and she needed to fix her room. She could only groan as she imagined sleeping in the same room as Galinda Upland of the Upper Uplands. The stupid blonde girl would be running around the room, doing, well, stupid things. With a groan, Elphaba finally arrived at her dorm room, Room #1. Why it was the first room, she didn't know, but the Upland girl had said something about a private suite. Elphaba set her suitcase down, and knocked on the door.

Nothing happened. Elphaba knocked again, and no reply came. Angrily, Elphaba pounded on the door as hard as she could, and still nothing. After a few moments of steady pounding, Elphaba sat on her suitcase, and took out a book. It was the best she could do.

About an hour later, high pitched giggles came around the corner. Elphaba looked up, and to her relief, saw Galinda and the other two girls. Standing up, Elphaba marched towards Galinda and the other girls. "Where have you been?" she demanded angrily. "I've been waiting for an hour, and you didn't show up!"

"Oh... Articho... I mean, Elphaba." Galinda cocked her head to one side, and frowned. "Why didn't you let yourself in?"

"I have no keys!" Elphaba hissed, trying to keep her temper. The two girls next to Galinda giggled, and began walking away. "See you tomorrow, Galinda!" they called, and turned away. Galinda smiled at them, and waved. "Bye Pfannee, Shen-shen!" Then she turned back to Elphaba and remembered that she was there.

"Oh. You're still here," Galinda said slowly, as she walked to the door. She looked at it expectantly, and then turned to Elphaba.

"How do you open this thing?" Galinda asked, and Elphaba felt her mouth drop. Was Galinda being serious? Had she never opened a door in her life? But Galinda had to be about twenty-something years old to be attending Shiz with a brain the size of hers. Elphaba had no doubt that Galinda had failed a couple of years of school.

"You... use a key."

Galinda's face turned to one of excitement. "_Oh!" _she squealed, jumping and clapping. Elphaba backed away nervously. She reminded herself that Galinda had been assigned a private suite, so she had some sort of problem. She looked fine physically, so Elphaba could only assume it was a psychological problem. And based on Galinda's actions, Elphaba could only assume that she had just found out. The girl probably had a severe case of mental retardation or something.

"Oh what?" Elphaba asked warily, unsure if she should approach the blonde girl. But the blonde girl was still jumping up and down. "_That's _what Momsie and Popsicle used to lock the balcony!" Elphaba could only stare.

"Well, that's great, Galinda Upland of the Upper Uplands, but how are we supposed to get in?" Elphaba asked, scratching her head slightly.

"We can... Wait, is this a key? It was sent in the mail, I think." Out of her white uniform pocket, she took out two keys, with a number one on them. Relieved, Elphaba snatched one key, and opened the door. Both girls ran inside.

"It's not pink!" the blonde girl moaned, sitting against the bed furthest from the window. It was true, the room was simple dark blue and white, the colors of Shiz University. But it was huge! The entrance was their room, with two twin beds placed at the left, and to their right was a small hall, leading to three other rooms. One was a small kitchen, the other a big bathroom, and the last one, a living room, with a couch. Elphaba nodded, impressed. So Galinda did have a suite.

Elphaba walked back into their room to unpack, when she noticed that Galinda's side of the room was filled with pink luggage. She sighed, and opened her single suitcase, taking out three uniforms, all identical, one formal frock, which looked just like her school uniforms, but it had a bit of design at the bottom, and was slightly tighter. Then she took out her underclothes, and opened a drawer on her small nightstand, which was empty. It had two drawers, and Elphaba found she could fit all her clothes in the bottom drawer. She then returned to her bed, and dumped all the contents of her tote bag out.

"Is that all you brought?" Elphaba turned to see Galinda holding about five dresses in each arm, as she walked to a closet at her side of the room. She simply shrugged; she didn't feel like explaining her clashing skin to Galinda.

After Elphaba finished arranging her contents in her top drawer, she took out her OzDust Boutique Mint air spray. She sprayed it over her bed and her nightstand. Galinda looked interested for a moment.

"Is that an OzDust air spray? I have some too!" She ripped open a bag to reveal about twenty bottles just like Elphaba's, only a light shade of pink. Elphaba looked at her own bottle. It was a light shade of green, clearly labeled "Mint". She squinted at Galinda's bottles, and groaned in horror. Strawberry. She hated fruit! Was goodness doing this on purpose? Curse it! Galinda seemed to mistake Elphaba's groan, and smiled a bright smile, hopping over to Elphaba, who nearly gagged as she smelled. It was strawberry, all right.

"Here, I have tons! Popsicle said he'd send me more, or that I could just buy them here at the OzDust Boutique with my student card. So you can have this one!"

Elphaba glared at Galinda, who she was sure was doing this to annoy her on purpose. "I don't need your filthy strawberry spray! I have mint!" She quickly sprayed the spray directly into Glinda's face, who stumbled back, her nose wrinkling.

"No! My nose! My nose burns! I hate mint!" She sprayed her own bottle at Elphaba who stepped back, and fell into her bed in disgust. She smelled like strawberries now!

"_No! My nose burns! I hate-_well, I'll tell you what I hate, Galinda, and I'll show you too if you don't get away from my side this instant." Elphaba finished mocking Galinda, who looked at Elphaba, with her lip quivering. Then, she turned away and dashed off, to get off all the mint, probably.

"Well, damn, I got a retarded roommate," Elphaba said to herself, ignoring Galinda's glares from across the room. She didn't have anything to do, so she took out her journal, and began writing a letter to Father. But she noticed Galinda was doing the same thing.

"Dearest darlingest Momsie and Popsicle!"

Whether Galinda was speaking to herself out loud to annoy Elphaba or she honestly didn't notice it, Elphaba didn't care. She stood up, and said loudly, "My dear Father."

Galinda kept on going as if she hadn't heard Elphaba. "There's been some confusion over rooming here at Shiz." After a moment of afterthought, Elphaba decided that actually sounded like a good line, so she quickly added it. _But of course I'll care for Nessie, _she added, just as Galinda muttered "But of course I'll rise above it!"

"Shut up, Galinda," Elphaba said loudly.

"Was I talking?"

"Yes, so please close your mouth while I write a letter to my Father."

But the blonde girl, curse her bubble brain, returned to her letter, and kept on talking. "For I know that's how you'd want me to respond. Yes. There's been some confusion for you see my roommate is..."

Elphaba was watching Galinda amusedly. The poor girl _didn't _realize she was talking out loud, Elphaba discovered, as she saw Galinda's right hand moving across pink paper.

Galinda, trying to finished her sentence, snuck a quick peek at Elphaba, and quickly turned away. Elphaba fought a giggle off, as she saw Galinda turn red. She thought she was doing it discreetly, and her voice quieted a bit, as she whispered quite loudly, "Unusually and exceedingly peculiar and altogether quite impossible to descri-buh."

That was it for Elphaba. Whether Galinda knew she was doing it, or she was stupid, the girl needed to learn that life didn't work that way. So, as quickly as she could, she filled out her own letter with Galinda's same sentence, but left the second part out. She cleared her throat, and saw Galinda trying to watch her without getting caught. But Elphaba knew. So, she tried to look as if she didn't know Galinda was watching her. Then, with as much venom as she could muster, she spat, "Blonde!"

The effect was instantaneous. Galinda gasped, and jumped out of her chair, and glared at Elphaba. "What did you call me?" she demanded, with her high pitched voice. Elphaba giggled, and repeated the word.

"Well, you're an artichoke!" Galinda snapped, before storming into the bathroom. Elphaba shrugged, and ran to throw the window open. Maybe all the horrible strawberry smell could get out. She waved her journal, trying to make all the hideous smell leave. It wasn't working very well, so Elphaba climbed onto her bed, and stuck her head out the window. The sweet smell of Quoxwood trees hit her, and she smiled in relief. She loved Quoxwood trees, unless they fell and smashed her dorm room. They were quite big.

Elphaba glanced back, and Galinda was still in her bathroom, so she grabbed her keys, put them in her tote, along with her glasses repair kit. Then, she walked out the door and slammed it as hard as she could, and heard one more screech from Galinda. "Artichoke!" Elphaba rolled her eyes, and sat at the swing just left of their dorm. They had, strangely, two swings, and Elphaba could only assume Galinda had asked her _Popsicle _to get them for her. She was just taking out her glasses repair kit, when the two girls Galinda had been talking to walked past the dorm room, and didn't notice Elphaba. Well, she wasn't going to say anything, because they were probably just as big airheads as her. But unfortunately, they noticed her.

"Oh look, it's the arti... it's Alfalfa." The one with white-blonde hair said. The darker one with green eyes cocked her head, and raised one of her eyebrows. Elphaba just gritted her teeth and reminded herself not to do anything.

"It's not Alfalfa, it's Elfalfa!" the other one said.

"It's _Elphaba," _Elphaba snapped, closing her kit, and glaring at the two girls.

"Oh, sorry," the blonde one giggled, but she didn't look particularly sorry. Elphaba glared some more, and was just about to walk into the trees, and leave all these stupid people behind, but the two girls stepped forward, with their hands out.

"I'm Pfannee," said the one with blonde hair, curling her face into a sneer. Elphaba hesitated, before holding her hand out, but just as she was going to make contact, Pfannee moved out of the way, and smirked.

"I'm Shen-shen," said the one with dark skin and green eyes. Elphaba refused to offer her her hand, but Shen-shen grabbed her hand anyway, and squeezed it until Elphaba gasped. She turned a darker green, and Pfannee giggled.

"Look, we made her blush!" she giggled to Shen-shen who was too busy laughing to respond. Elphaba stood up quickly and charged out of the clearing. Stupid airheads. Getting into a fight wouldn't help her, so she'd just have to go visit Nessarose, and see if she needed help with something. She walked along the sidewalk, and to the staff dormitory. Thankfully, there were no students wandering around there to tempt her into a fight.

When she came to the room labeled "Headmistress", Elphaba knocked lightly, and stepped back courteously. However, the door didn't open. So Elphaba knocked again, and once again, the door didn't open. She was now beginning to believe that the dorms were sound proof, for no one ever seemed to hear when she knocked. The window was closed, so Elphaba couldn't see through. Instead, she walked along the side, and spotted one more window. Nervously, she considered for a moment. Spying on the headmistress was certainly no way to go. But she needed to see Nessarose, to calm down...

Elphaba set her bag down, and cupped her hands, while leaning towards the window. She squinted, and through the window, she saw Nessarose sitting alone on a bed, holding a wand with the strangest expression on her face. It was like... longing.

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**Author's Note: Hi! So, here's the fifth chapter, and I hope you liked it! By the way, Elphaba has sort of a potty mouth, but that's only to help with her characterization a bit, and for later chapters. Please review! I'll give you a sugar cookie if you do! I don't think there's anything else I need to explain here, but if you're confused or something (don't worry, I confuse myself with my writing too!) just ask me! I'd be happy to explain!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Wicked. Yet.**

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Both Thropp sisters had always been kind (though Elphaba had a sarcastic sense of humor sometimes, and always stood up for what she believed in, even if no one agreed with her. This, paired with the fact that she had a quick temper and never let anyone walk over her, made her seem a bit rude sometimes, but Elphaba was nice enough) and grateful with what they had. Nessarose had never voiced a want for sorcery. Nessarose, in fact, never asked for anything from Father, but he brought her many gifts anyway. But something about Nessarose's expression was bothering Elphaba very much, because she seemed deeply immersed with the wand. Where had she gotten it anyway? Panicked, Elphaba pounded on the window.

In a snap, the spell broke. Nessarose jumped, blinked for a moment, and turned over to the window. When she saw Elphaba, her face broke into her usual shy, cheerful smile, and she wheeled herself over to the window where Elphaba stood. Elphaba watched, worried and troubled. Nessarose worked with the lock, but managed to open it. Nessarose had always had very strong arms, since she had to wheel herself around all the time.

"Hey, Elphaba! I'm sorry, I don't think I can open the door, there's a few stairs. I can crawl, though..."

Elphaba shook her head. She must have been imagining things. Nessarose was a sweet fifteen year old girl who wouldn't ever do anything. Imagining things. Of course. After all, she had inhaled that hellish strawberry perfume. It was probably messing with her thinking.

"... Elphaba?"

"Oh, sorry Nessa, I was just thinking. It's okay, I can stay right here."

The window had a small ledge, so Elphaba sat on it, and turned to face Nessarose, who was smiling up at her innocently. But after a moment, her nose wrinkled. "What's that smell?" Nessarose asked, wheeling herself back. But upon seeing Elphaba's hurt expression, she blushed, and wheeled herself back, very obviously holding her breath. "It smells good, though."

"Sure, Nessarose. Poison smells good too, until you die."

Nessarose giggled, and ran her fingers through her hair. She looked up at Elphaba again, more seriously this time. "But what's that smell, really?"

"My stupid blonde roommate," Elphaba groaned, fanning herself, "has about fifty bottles of _strawberry _air scent perfumes. And she sprayed it all over the room. Unfortunately, she also sprayed it on me."

"Strawberries," Nessarose said, smiling sadly at Elphaba. "I'm sorry you were put through that torture. But Galinda seemed so nice! I'm sure you just don't know her yet."

Elphaba shook her head. "No, Nessa, I do know her. Enough to know that she's an airhead." But Nessarose didn't seem to believe it, so Elphaba decided to just drop the subject, for now.

"How's Madame Morrible? Where is she now?" Elphaba asked, because this had been worrying her. If Nessarose wasn't happy, then she would do anything in her power to change that. "Are you happy? If you're not, then I can take care of you, Nessie, I need to take care of you."

Nessarose smiled again, but something flashed in her eyes, and Elphaba leaned back, surprised. Nessarose pretended not to notice. "I'm happy, Elphaba. Really, Please _don't worry about me_." Elphaba noticed that Nessarose had said her last sentence a little forcefully, but she pretended to not notice, just as Nessarose had pretended to not notice Elphaba's surprise.

"Where is Madame Morrible now?"

"She said she would be going to a staff meeting, but she would be back at night. She brought me to this room, and left me here. She said where the bathroom and the food was, and gave me a map of the university."

Elphaba nodded. Madame Morrible did sound as if she was taking care of Nessarose all right. But why did Nessarose have a wand? Unless Madame Morrible had decided to take Nessarose as a sorcery student too, but she had said she would take no other students.

"Nessa, but why did you have a wand?"

Elphaba watched Nessarose intently, and noticed the way she blushed, as usual, and took the wand out from under her chair, where she had been hiding it. "I didn't... Madame Morrible dropped it when she was here, and I just wanted to see it."

Elphaba blinked. Well, the story made sense, but there was still something bothering her. She had always taken care of Nessarose, because, of course, she was her younger and crippled sister. But that wasn't the only reason. Back when Father had allowed Nessarose to be by herself outside, around the age of nine, there had been an accident.

* * *

"Well, Nessie, I'm going to go read a book. It's a bit hot out here. Just yell if you need anything!"

With that, Elphaba ran off into the house, and into her room. She couldn't see Nessarose from there, but she kept her window wide open, to hear if she needed something. In a few moments, after picking out her book, she nestled herself against her comforter, and was deeply immersed in the book, oblivious to everything. She didn't hear Nessarose call her, until she heard a scream. Immediately, Elphaba tensed, and shut her book. She paused for a moment, but heard nothing. Had she imagined it?

"Nessa?" she asked, stepping to the window. "N-nessa? Are you okay? Nessa?"

There was no reply, and Elphaba felt her blood turn cold. As quickly as she could, she ran down the stairs, and pulled the door leading outside open. A few moments later, she arrived at the scene. Her eyes shot wide open as she saw an animal, (not an Animal, because it didn't have the same superior quality as an Animal), a bird, lying on the ground with blood splattered all over it. It lay unmoving on the floor. Nessarose sat, completely white, and motionless. Elphaba rushed forward, and shook Nessarose lightly.

"Nessie? Nessie, what happened? Who was it? I'll go call the security guards, just a moment-"

"Elphaba," Nessarose whispered, sitting completely still, with her eyes wide and unmoving. "No. Don't."

When she approached Nessarose more, Elphaba was surprised to see her trembling slightly, and she hugged her immediately, running her green hand through Nessarose's caramel hair.

"Nessarose, you need to tell me what's wrong now. If there's someone here, I need to go get Father, and some security guards. It's okay, Nessa, you can tell me anything, I'll never let you down..."

Nessarose didn't respond, and Elphaba grew increasingly worried. She kneeled next to Nessarose. It couldn't have been nothing. Animals, if they died of a natural cause, they simply died. They didn't have a pool of blood surrounding them.

"Elphaba. I... I didn't mean to, I swear!"

Elphaba froze. What did Nessarose mean? She couldn't have possibly done it herself. And how? No. Not possible. Nessarose must have meant something else.

"Nessa," Elphaba said slowly. "What exactly _happened?"_

Nessarose took a deep breath, and with her wide brown eyes, looked into Elphaba's identical eyes. "One of the boys, the one who lives down the hill... He came up, and I was sitting here, watching a butterfly. When he saw me, he laughed, and I got embarrassed. He said 'Look at that. The Governor's daughter: crippled! My mother says you and your sister both came out wrong because you are of the devil. Is that true?'"

Elphaba's eyes narrowed. She knew exactly who Nessarose was talking about. When she walked past his house, he called her a walking vegetable, and his bicycle had paid for it. It was one thing to insult her, but her sweet, innocent sister, who had never done anything wrong to the world?

"I told him to please not say that, but he laughed at me. I got really upset, and I almost started to cry, and he said he was proud he had made the devil reincarnated cry. At that moment, a bee flew right past me, and I got a bit scared, so I moved out of the way. Just as I did, the wheelchair almost tripped over the grassy ground, and my necklace flew off. I was trying to reach it, but the boy saw it, grabbed it, and asked me if that was my witch amulet. He thought I was an evil witch. I told him to please give it back, because it's my favorite necklace. It went so beautiful with that blue dress the night of that party. But the boy shook his head, and was about to run off with it. I don't know, but all of a sudden, I felt really angry. I yelled at him to stop, and he stopped, because it seemed like he couldn't move anymore. Then, the bird fell to the ground from that tree, and it just landed with blood all around it. The boy dropped the necklace, said it was cursed, and ran off."

As Nessarose finished her tale, she buried her face in Elphaba's hair, and Elphaba just kneeled there, very much in shock. Nessarose had never lost control of anything. Usually, it was Elphaba that blew up a cup up or something, because she lost her temper, but she had never caused anyone to suffer.

That night, Elphaba tried to ask Nessarose again what exactly had happened, but Nessarose had refused, claiming that she had told her what happened. To this day, Elphaba had wondered what it had felt like through her sister's point of view.

* * *

"Elphaba? Are you okay? You seem really dazed today. Maybe you should just rest for now."

Elphaba shook herself out of her memory, and looked down at Nessarose's brown eyes. They were filled with only concern for her sister, so she nodded, and rubbed her forehead.

"You're right, Nessa. I'm sorry. I woke up early, and that perfume is really getting to me."

Nessarose only nodded, and smiled at Elphaba. Then, however, her face fell. "Does that mean you're leaving now? But I'm all alone here."

Hearing Nessarose's soft voice pleading for her to stay, Elphaba quickly plastered a smile on her face. "Of course not, Nessa," she said, putting herself into a more comfortable position. "I'll stay. It's not like going back to Galinda Upland of the Upper Uplands is any better."

For a while more, both girls sat, sharing their favorite classes. Later, they even played arm wrestling. It worked out fine, except that both girls were extremely favored of their chosen arm. When playing left handed, Nessarose won effortlessly. When playing right handed, Elphaba crushed Nessarose. They giggled, as Nessarose brought down Elphaba's left hand down, softly. Elphaba enjoyed slamming her opponent's hands down, because she had tried it with her father once, who had slammed her own hand down. She knew it didn't hurt. But although Nessarose's right hand was constantly slammed, so she knew it didn't hurt, Nessarose always brought her opponent's hand down gently when using her left hand. She had always been scared of hurting someone.

When the light was finally fading, Elphaba stood up, brushed her uniform, and picked up her bag, She hadn't used it for anything, after all. "I need to go now, Nessie. Need to be ready for tomorrow's classes. See you tomorrow! We have a lot of similar classes," she said, and tried not to be tempted by her sister's face which immediately fell when she announced she was leaving. But in a moment, Nessarose regained her cheerful expression, and hugged Elphaba rather awkwardly, as she was inside the window, and in a wheelchair. Elphaba laughed, and hugged Nessarose again. She walked off towards Room #1.

As she walked along, she noticed a few groups of students walking around, but she kept directly to the sidewalk to avoid being trampled by carriages. Because of this, no one noticed her. At least, not until she got to a couple of dorms away from her and Galinda's room.

"Hey! Elphaba! Elphaba!"

Who could possibly be calling to _her_? Elphaba whirled around fiercely, with a comment on her tongue about wearing her name out, when she saw a short boy with a red hat running towards her. He looked out of breath and had curly jet black hair. Elphaba stared blankly at him. He didn't _look _like a giggly friend of Galinda's...

"You're Elphaba, right?" he asked, completely oblivious to the fact that she was green, Elphaba was grateful because of this, so she decided to keep her mouth shut to avoid saying anything that didn't need to be said.

"Listen, Elphaba, I was wondering if I could talk to you?"

"Well, obviously, you're doing it already. But it's okay. You're the first person, besides my sister, who hasn't called me Alfalfa, Elfalfa, or Artichoke."

The boy chuckled, and held his hand out. Elphaba stared at the hand suspiciously. Already, Pfannee and Shen-shen had tricked her. She didn't want to fall for it again. But Boq seemed to notice her reluctance, so he brought down his hand.

"So, Elphaba, you're Galinda's new roommate. I think she's really pretty. I was wondering if you could try to get her to notice me?"

Elphaba nearly laughed out loud right then and there. But she controlled her laughter, because this boy had, after all, spared her from embarasment by bringing his hand down by himself. So instead, Elphaba decided to know who he was first.

"I'm sorry," she said. "but who exactly are you?" She hoped he wouldn't be offended, and he didn't appear to be. He straightened his hat, and bowed slightly. "I'm Boq, Miss Elphaba. I'm from Munchkinland."

Immediately, Elphaba's eyes rose in interest. "I'm Elphaba. Elphaba Thropp."

His eyes widened slightly. "As in Miss Elphaba Thropp, the daughter of Governor Thropp?"

Elphaba couldn't help but laugh slightly, and nodded. "Yep, that's me."

Boq nodded, looking impressed. Elphaba thought he was nice, for he made no nasty comment about her being the daughter of the Governor, and being _green._ So she began to explain about Galinda's situation.

"Listen, Boq, I don't think Galinda Upland of the Upper Uplands is exactly interested in seeing anyone right now. I hardly know her myself."

Boq's face seem to fall slightly, but he nodded. "Of course, Miss Elphaba. I hope you have fun with your roommate. I don't have one," he said, as he began to back away slightly, with a kind expression. Elphaba almost let him go, but she stopped him.

"Boq, wait!" Elphaba called. "It was nice meeting you," she said honestly, as she held her hand out. Boq smiled his kind smile, and shook her hand. Maybe not everyone at Shiz was like Galinda. Even if they all liked her.

* * *

**Author's Note: Hi again! There's not much I think I need to explain for this chapter, I think, but ask me if you need to know anything! Please review!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Wicked.**

* * *

The clock rang early in the morning, at six, because classes began at eight. Elphaba sat up excitedly, and threw her covers off. Quickly, she began making her bed, and she smiled as she felt the cool breeze floating in through the window. She felt happy. It was rare when she was in a good mood. She chose her uniform and ran to the bathroom, because she knew someone like Galinda would take hours in it. She took half an hour, and when she came out, she assumed she looked presentable enough.

She stopped in front of the mirror in the bathroom and looked at herself. Her hair was in a braid, and she was wearing her hat again. With a shrug, Elphaba took out a box of Munchkin Munchies cereal out of her drawer, and ate a few without milk, because she didn't want to take Galinda's things. Actually, Elphaba strongly believed that Galinda had strawberry milk. Curse the girl and her blonde brain.

With a sigh, Elphaba slipped her glasses on, and looked over at Galinda. The girl was still sleeping, with her straight blonde hair poking out from under a pillow. Elphaba had gone to sleep at nine, after ignoring Galinda who had been trying to figure out how the stove worked. It had been an amusing sight, to watch the blonde girl turn the knob to full power, then touch the stove. Only Galinda would do that.

Still, she hadn't heard Galinda get into bed until a little after two in the morning, and Elphaba had only woken up because Galinda had dropped some pans at the kitchen. Elphaba had yelled at her to shut up, and Galinda had replied with her usual "Artichoke!" comment.

The sun was rising higher now, and it was an hour until eight. And it was always good to be early. But Galinda showed no signs of life. So Elphaba stood up with a sigh, unsure of what to do. After a moment, she cleared her throat and loudly asked "Galinda Upland of the Upper Uplands? Are you awake?"

She received no reply, so Elphaba made her way to Galinda's bed. She was not even moving, which was annoying Elphaba. So she threw a pillow as hard as she could on Galinda's head of straight blonde hair. No response.

"Well, it's my duty to wake you up, Miss Galinda," Elphaba said, a smirk on her face. She walked to the kitchen, grabbed a jug off the counter, and filled it with water. With an afterthought, she added a few drops of her strong mint perfume. Then, she walked over to Galinda's bed, smiling widely.

In a swift, fluid motion, she dumped the water over Galinda's back. That certainly got a reaction. Galinda's eyes snapped open, and she shrieked, rolling off the bed. Elphaba smirked, and set the jug of water down. She watched as Galinda stood up from the floor and turned to face Elphaba.

"Did you throw that water on me?" she asked with an even higher voice than usual. Elphaba fought the urge to cover her ears. She wasn't going to answer, until she noticed how Galinda was standing there, unmoving.

"No, the Wizard did it."

Galinda gasped. "The Wizard?" she yelled. "Sweet Oz, Elbapha, why didn't you tell me? I need to look presentable for the Wizard..." She began running around the room, with her straight hair flying out from behind her. Elphaba laughed a bit, and then smiled amusedly at Galinda.

"First, Galinda Upland of the Upper Uplands, my name is _Elphaba_, not Elbapha. You had it right before, so get it right again. Second, the Wizard isn't here."

Galinda stood in front of Elphaba, who was sitting on her bed, still feeling the breeze from the window. She had an utterly confused expression, that it almost made Elphaba want to laugh.

"Wait, so the Wizard isn't here?"

"No."

"So who threw water on me?"

"Me, Galinda, don't be an idiot!"

Galinda paused for a moment, and frowned. Even as she stood there, in dripping wet pink pajamas, she was still really pretty. This bothered Elphaba; Galinda was _too_ pretty. It wasn't fair. Why couldn't she at least look average? She stared in disgust at her own skin. A moment later, Galinda seemed to realize that this story did fit. She glared at the ground, before calling Elphaba an artichoke and going off to get ready. With a sigh, Elphaba walked to the door, wrenched it open, and yelled "Boo!" before leaving. She heard a satisfying scream from Galinda.

* * *

The following week, things only went downhill for Galinda and Elphaba. Galinda now made a point to empty a bottle of strawberry perfume over Elphaba's bed every morning, and Elphaba had given up on trying to get the stink out. She had to face it; she would smell like a strawberry forever. But Galinda didn't get away easily. Elphaba had "accidentally" run Nessarose's wheelchair over Galinda's favorite dresses. It had been one of those days when Galinda was out doing Oz knows what, and Nessarose was in Elphaba's dorm. When she saw another splotch of pink on her covers, she nearly ran out of the room to find Galinda and rip her head off. However, Nessarose had smiled weakly, and said that strawberries didn't smell all that bad. Elphaba had restrained herself, but only for one reason; Nessarose was finally beginning to learn that a white lie every now and then wasn't bad. Even if she didn't do it well, she at least attempted.

But Elphaba was still angry, so she got a few of Galinda's dresses, laid them on the ground, and ignoring Nessarose's protests, she ran the dresses over. A moment later, looking at the ruined dresses, she had given off a cackle.

And now it was Friday, and almost two weeks had passed since Shiz began. Elphaba had only had one lesson with Madame Morrible, who had tried to make Elphaba levitate a feather. The problem was, the feather was much too fragile for Elphaba's powerful magic, and it turned to ashes in a moment. Of course, right after, Elphaba had felt drained, so she had been sent to rest. Today would be her next lesson.

Like every other morning, she stormed into the classroom of one of her favorite teachers, Doctor Dillamond. All the students sat on their benches, talking. She could hear Galinda telling Shen-shen about something she had discovered; that if she watered a flower, it grew. Galinda had gotten a ridiculous liking for a pink lily outside their room, and she spent hours watching it. Elphaba had to admit that at first, she had almost ripped it off, and crushed the stupid lily, but as she looked at the flower, she felt a sudden pang of sadness. She suddenly felt bad for it. And Galinda. After all, Galinda had mental retardation, as far as Elphaba guessed. No other students seemed to notice it, though. But from that day, Elphaba had secretly gone out to see the lily, after Galinda was off to Oz knows where (really, Elphaba wondered what could possibly be so fascinating that Galinda had to disappear every afternoon). And without letting Galinda know, she had drained the extra water from the lily. Yes, flowers needed water to live, but a flower would drown with the amount of water Galinda put on it.

Elphaba took out her folder, and turned to the door, where Doctor Dillamond arrived, clapping his hands, well, hooves together.

"Settle down, now! I have read your most recent essays. And I am amazed to report the progress! Although, some of us still tend to favor form over content... Miss G-g-g-linda."

Elphaba chuckled and looked down. Yes, Galinda certainly did spend quite a bit of time trying to make the paper pink and smell like strawberries, but she hardly got anything of importance on there. Elphaba didn't even want to read one of those essays. The other day, Elphaba had been writing one of her essays, and had grudgingly asked Galinda how to spell "entrepreneur". Galinda, bless her, had looked over at Elphaba with her eyes wide.

"It's _Ga-_linda. With a "Ga"," Galinda whined.

Just as she and Doctor Dillamond were getting into an argument about her stupid name, Elphaba interrupted.

"Maybe pronouncing your precious name isn't the sole purpose of Doctor Dillamond's life. Maybe he's not like every other professor." She paused, to let that sink in. "Maybe some of us are different."

Galinda looked at her for a moment, before giggling, and saying loudly, "Oh! It seems the artichoke is steamed!"

Elphaba nearly hurled her pencil at Galinda, but someone held a paper out in front of her. It was Boq, smiling kindly, and Elphaba smiled back at him. She took the paper, and noticed, with a groan, that she had gotten a ninety-eight. She flipped it to see why, and steam nearly did come out of her ears when she noticed why. She had spelled entrepreneur wrong after all. Entrepenewer. Two letters off! She knew she should have asked Nessarose, who could spell anything. Not that Elphaba's spelling was bad. In fact, she had won several spelling awards at school. Her best one had been a second place ribbon at the Spelling Bee. It had been a "Governor present" spelling competition, and she had hoped to make Father proud. However, she stumbled on a long word, only to lose to Nessarose.

Doctor Dillamond asked a question, and Elphaba expertly pushed her glasses back up her nose, and raised her hand. "From what I've heard, it all started with the Great Drought," she said, scanning the room. She had been analyzing her class, and not because she was her sister, but the only other person Elphaba honestly thought had a brain that _thought _once in a while was Nessarose. Still, it would be the day when monkeys would fly that Nessarose would ever speak up, since she wasn't exactly the sharing type.

Doctor Dillamond continued speaking about the Great Drought, and all of a sudden, Galinda Upland of the Upper Uplands stood up, and tossed her hair.

"I don't see why you can't just teach us history instead of always harping on the past." she said, and Elphaba chuckled. Only Galinda would say that. Even Doctor Dillamond looked a bit shocked at Galinda's thought process. He paused for a moment, before turning over to his chalkboard and turning it over. A gasp ran through the class, and Elphaba stared at the board. She wanted to see what it said, but her glasses prescription was already outdated, and in the dim lighting, all she could really see was the word "Animals". Besides that, she saw nothing.

But the class obviously quieted. Elphaba glanced around, nervously, to see what was happening. Doctor Dillamond asked, "Who is responsible for this?" When no one answered, he simply said "Very well, class dismissed." Nobody moved, so he had to turn around to yell at them to go. The students jumped, and quickly turned to leave. They all ran out the door, and only Nessarose and Elphaba remained. Nessarose waited patiently at the door, but Elphaba wanted to speak to Doctor Dillamond. She told Nessarose to go on, and Elphaba slowly approached Doctor Dillamond, who sat there, glumly. She was finally close enough to see the board.

"Animals should be seen and not heard."

* * *

After nearly being run over, nearly getting in trouble for sticking a certain finger up at someone, and having an exhausting sorcery class, Elphaba stormed into her math class. But there were no students in there. Elphaba stepped back, to look at the door, and saw that it was the correct time. Confused, she turned to Miss Maywood, the teacher, who sat at her desk looking just as confused as her. "Did I miss a memo saying class was cancelled today, or...?"

"No," Miss Maywood said, shrugging. "I didn't cancel anything, but it's still five minutes until the bell rings. They could still show up."

Elphaba nodded, and set her things down on her desk. Five minutes later, there was a thud on the door, and Elphaba jumped up, alarmed. A moment later, the door opened, and in walked a dazed looking Galinda pushing Nessarose.

Elphaba nearly choked. _Galinda _was pushing _Nessarose_? Since when were those two friends? Elphaba was going to need to have a word with her sister later, to tell her who to hang out with and who to not hang out with. Just as the door closed, the bell rang. Galinda nearly pushed Nessarose into a desk, until Nessarose held up her hand, and said "Thanks, Galinda. But I think I can push myself."

Nessarose wheeled herself to her special spot in the room, and Galinda walked into a couple of desks before collapsing into her desk, and groaning. Elphaba was amused by this sight. A moment later, Miss Maywood walked to the front of the class, and looked down at Elphaba, who was smirking at something, Nessarose, who was holding her journal, and Galinda, who was watching the board with a blank expression.

"Why did you three ladies come here today? No one else did." Miss Maywood laughed. "You're my favorite students now."

Elphaba raised her hand, out of habit, and cleared her throat. "Me and Nessa actually want to do something in life." Then, she turned around to look at Galinda who was swaying slightly. "And why did you come to class today, Galinda Upland of the Upper Uplands?"

Galinda didn't respond, so Elphaba poked her. Galinda suddenly blinked, and Elphaba noticed, through her glassy expression, that Galinda's eyes were gray, not blue.

"What? No, I don't know the answer. Ask Elbapha. It's probably something with x's and y's."

Elphaba glanced at Nessarose, confused, for Galinda's strange behavior. Nessarose shrugged, and looked worriedly at Galinda.

"It's _Elphaba, _and we didn't ask you about math."

Galinda looked at Elphaba blankly for a moment, before blinking again, and standing up. "Well, it was nice being here. But I haven't had my medicine, I forgot to take it, and now I feel dizzy. Bye Nessa, Miss May-something, and Elbapha. See you... whenever."

Galinda walked unsteadily towards the door, and crashed into the wall. "My bad," she called back, with unfocused eyes, and walked out the door. Elphaba and Nessarose shared confused glances, while Miss Maywood looked after Galinda, as if she wanted to say something.

"What was wrong with _her? _She's usually weird, but not so weird."

"She didn't look great when she was bringing me here. She bumped into the door."

"Oh, that was that bump I heard! I thought maybe she was trying to fly again..."

Nessarose and Elphaba then ceased talking, and looked at Miss Maywood, who smiled down at them.

"Don't worry, Nessa and Elphaba. I assume Galinda forgot to take her ADHD medicine. She has quite a bit of milligrams. The staff all has her record. She'll be fine, later."

Elphaba suddenly gasped. "Oh! I knew there was something going on with her! That explains a lot!"

The room suddenly got very quiet, and both Nessarose and Miss Maywood were staring at Elphaba, who hadn't realized she had said that out loud. She blushed, and defensively spoke up. "What? It's true!"

Miss Maywood nodded, simply, and then looked at both students. "You two don't need to take a math class. Since everyone is cutting, you girls go on ahead and go to that dance or whatever everyone is talking about. But Elphaba, please, you're Galinda's roommate. I'm sorry to say she doesn't do as well as you in math. Last week, Galinda got a fourteen percent on that test. That's the lowest grade I've ever given."

Elphaba's eyes widened, and she turned to face Nessarose, who looked just as surprised as she. It was no secret that Galinda wasn't intelligent, but... Nessarose had received a ninety-seven on the test, and Elphaba, a one hundred. And here Galinda had a fourteen?

"Well, I'll try, assuming she doesn't spray me with strawberry perfume anymore," Elphaba muttered. Honestly, the last thing she wanted was to help Galinda, but she felt sorry for the girl. Her grades couldn't be fantastic.

Elphaba stood up with finality, and wheeled Nessarose out. Once outside, she stopped and looked down at Nessarose. "Nessa, what were you doing with Galinda?"

Nessarose shrugged, and looked guiltily up at Elphaba. "Well, I'm going to the dance! Boq was too shy to ask me at first, but then once Galinda encouraged him-"

"_Galinda? _With a 'Ga!'? Of the Upper Uplands?"

"Please don't say another word about her! We deserve each other, me and Boq. Please, Elphaba, try to understand."

Elphaba groaned, but sank down on her knees. She held Nessarose's hands. She approved of Boq, but last she had seen him, he had been chasing Galinda at the courtyard that morning, after being so rudely knocked over by that Fiyero boy. "I do," Elphaba replied honestly, and wheeled Nessarose to her and Madame Morrible's room.

After she dropped off Nessarose, she began walking over to her own dorm. It was only about five, now, and she honestly had no idea what to do now. It was a Friday night, and she had no plans as usual.

She saw Pfannee and Shen-shen leave her dorm, giggling about something, and looking disgustingly beautiful with normal skin and pretty dresses. She charged into the room, and as she expected, a blast of strawberry hit her face. Angrily, Elphaba opened the window as she did every night, and tried to breathe. She turned around to find Galinda still stumbling around, but with a wide smile on her face, as she held something behind her back.

"Listen, Galinda, Nessa and I were just talking about you and-"

"And I was just talking about you!" Was it only Elphaba, or did the girl's voice get get higher every day? "I thought you might want to wear this hat to the party tonight! So here, out of the goodness of my heart!" She shoved a black pointed hat at Elphaba, who took it in surprise. Before she noticed, Galinda had walked out of their bedroom, and she heard several pots fall. A moment later, Galinda slurred, "'M all right!"

Elphaba rolled her eyes and looked down at the hat. It wasn't too bad, actually. It would go well with her frock. Maybe Galinda really was a good person. She set the hat down on her bed, and ran out the door. She needed to talk to Madame Morrible.

* * *

**Author's Note: I'm sorry it's so bad! It'll get better next chapter, and the chapter after that! You see, I had this chapter writted, and chapter 8 and 9 but because I can be quite stupid at times, I clicked no when it asked me to save, so I lost all my work. I was too angry to rewrite it all out. xD If you have any questions, just ask! And please review!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Wicked.**

* * *

Nessarose Thropp took a deep breath before knocking on Galinda and Elphaba's door. Now that Boq had asked her to the dance, she wasn't sure what dress to wear. She hadn't brought any formal dresses, only a white one, but white was a color of Shiz University, and she wanted to wear a different color. Her hair was currently in two braids, and she had her Shiz uniform and her favorite blue and gold necklace, the one Father had given her so many years ago. As for shoes, she had her silver shoes.

The door opened revealing a giggling Galinda, and Nessarose quickly smiled. Galinda looked so pretty, with her blonde hair straight, and a bright pink dress and shoes. Though honestly, the way Galinda had been stumbling around earlier, Nessarose didn't think Galinda should be wearing heels.

"Oh, Nessa!" Galinda said, smiling widely. She opened the door more, and Nessarose wheeled herself in. A moment later, the smell of strawberries met her nose, and it wrinkled involuntarily. Galinda noticed, and her face slid into a pout.

"You don't like strawberries either."

Nessarose laughed, and shook her head. "Not much." she admitted, while looking down. Galinda backed up, until she hit her bed, and fell over. She was surprised at first, but then collapsed into a fit of giggles, with tears streaming down her face. Nessarose's eyes widened. Maybe Galinda _was _a little off, as Elphaba had said.

"I just- I was- I fell over! And now I'm in bed!" Galinda choked out, still giggling madly. Nessarose waited patiently, as Galinda gasped for air.

"That's great, Galinda. I was, um, wondering..."

But Galinda had mastered her giggles at last, and she sat up on the bed, and inspected Nessarose, before interrupting her.

"You wanted me to help you get ready. Isn't that right?"

Nessarose blushed and nodded, while Galinda muttered to herself for a moment.

"Well, I'm all ready, but I still have two more hours to go till _Fiyero! _Laaaaa laaaa!" Galinda suddenly jumped up, and ran around the room, with a smile on her face, and her hands outstretched. Nessarose watched, getting a little worried. Maybe she should wear her white dress after all, she thought, watching Galinda trip on the flat surface and start giggling yet again.

"It's okay Galinda, if you're still not feeling well, I have a dress. I'll just go get myself ready. Have fun at the dance," Nessarose called, as she wheeled herself to the door. But as quick as a flash, Galinda was standing behind Nessarose's chair, and wheeling her into the room again.

"Wait. Here." Galinda walked to her closet, and a moment later, appeared holding a brush. Nessarose blushed, as Galinda let her braids go, and ran the brush through her hair. Now her caramel hair was in small waves. But Galinda grabbed a pale pink headband and put it on Nessarose's head, who smiled gratefully.

"Now, go put this on." Galinda pointed to the bathroom, and produced a dress wrapped in white plastic. Nessarose stared for a moment, until Galinda began wheeling her to the bathroom herself. Nessarose yelped as she crashed into the wall, and quickly wheeled herself away from Galinda. "Thank you, Galinda, but I can wheel myself."

A few minutes later, Nessarose emerged, dressed in a pale pink dress. She had to admit the dress was extremely beautiful, but must have cost a fortune. She would have to repay Galinda.

Galinda, when she saw her, gasped. "Oooooh, you look pretty," she squealed, and jumped up and down, clapping her hands. Nessarose blushed, but she did feel quite better, knowing that Galinda, the prettiest girl, had fixed her up.

"How can I ever repay you?" Nessarose asked, feeling guilty for taking Galinda's time. But Galinda shook her head, and inspected Nessarose. When her gaze fell on her necklace, she shook her head.

"You look good now, Nessie, but that blue and gold necklace won't fit." Galinda took it off of Nessarose's neck, but then got a blank expression on her face as she stared at the blue jewel on it. "It's sparkly," she whispered, in a girlish voice.

Nessarose suddenly had an idea. "Keep it, Galinda. It's the least I can do. You fixed me and gave me such pretty stuff. Keep it."

Galinda nodded, but then her face lit up. "Oooh! I know what!" she dashed to her shoe rack, where she had her two favorite mirrors. She grabbed one, and took it to Nessarose. "Here, have this mirror!"

Nessarose grasped the handle thankfully, and looked at herself. To her surprise, she actually looked all right. Her face broke into a smile. Nessarose put her mirror in the compartment under her chair, and smiled at Galinda, who smiled for a moment at her, but suddenly ran to pick up her math notebook.

"I was going to ask Elbaphaba, or whatever to help me solve this math problem, but you're smart too. How old are you? Anyway, could you help me? Please?"

Nessarose blinked, because Galinda was speaking really quickly. "Uh, yeah, of course, Galinda. Her name is Elphaba, and I'm fifteen years old. How old are you?"

Galinda stared at Nessarose for a second, before shrugging. "Twenty. Now can you do that one, number one?"

Nessarose began doing the simple problem, but Galinda squealed, pointing at Nessarose's hand. "You're left handed!"

Nessarose laughed. Galinda was really sweet. "Yes, I am. Are you?"

Galinda pouted, and Nessarose felt bad for asking. "No."

"So you're right handed?"

"No."

Nessarose looked at Galinda. "Okay," she said slowly, wondering if Galinda thought she had an extra hand, or something. She was going to ask about this, but suddenly Galinda ran to the door and opened it. There, were Boq and Fiyero, both wearing red tuxedos.

Nessarose suddenly felt like giggling when she saw Boq. She figured it must be from spending so much time with Galinda, so she shook her head to clear it, and smiled slightly at Boq, who was staring at the ground.

"Galinda," Fiyero said, taking Galinda who ran straight into his arms. Nessarose smiled as she saw Galinda's expression; she was completely in love. She only hoped it worked out for them, as well as for her and Boq.

"Hi, Boq," Nessarose said shyly, wheeling herself forward, and blushing. Boq looked up at her dully, and muttered, "Hey Nessa. You look pretty."

Nessarose smiled, and looked at Boq who was watching Galinda and Fiyero. Galinda was giggling still, while Fiyero stared at her with a blank expression.

"Well, should we go?" Boq snapped, stepping in between Galinda and Fiyero. They stepped back awkwardly, and Nessarose couldn't help but notice how Galinda tossed her straight blonde hair. She'd need to ask for tips, because she had never tossed her hair before.

"You know what?" Galinda asked, stepping forward. "Me and Fiyero will go now. You can come later, or go now or something, but we'll be gone!" With that, Galinda grabbed Fiyero's arm and dragged him out the door. Nessarose turned red when she realized she was alone with Boq in Galinda and Elphaba's dormitory. So she quickly said, "Maybe we should go now," and wheeled herself out the door. Boq followed, but he looked miserable.

"Are you okay, Boq?" Nessarose asked quietly. He wasn't even paying attention to her, she realized, and her eyes stung. Maybe she should go back now, she thought. She didn't want to make Boq feel obliged to take her. After all, it was a dance. She wouldn't be able to do anything. She stopped to wipe a tear that was falling out of her eye, but Boq seemed to finally notice. His expression softened.

"I'm sorry, Nessa. I was thinking about something else. You know, homework and all that. Here, let me wheel you." Her heart nearly swelled as he began pushing her, and a smile broke on her face. Galinda was so nice! If it weren't for her, she would be all alone with Madame Morrible. But because of Galinda, she was with Boq. They deserved each other.

"Oh, look, there's the OzDust ballroom!" Nessarose squealed, pointing at the OzDust Ballroom. Students roamed around it, all wearing amazing attire. Nessarose tried not to look self conscious as she saw Shen-shen's long, beautiful legs. She'd give anything to be able to do that. But she quickly turned her head away. She needed to be thankful with what she had. After all, she had Boq with her. That was enough.

Noticing that everyone was holding hands, Nessarose grabbed Boq's hand who tried to shake his hand away, but then his gaze landed on her hurt face, and he gripped her hand tighter. "Sorry," he muttered.

At the entrance, they handed them cups of punch, and Nessarose took one gratefully. She should have drunk something at her dorm, but she had been so excited, that she couldn't even stand the thought of food. Boq wheeled her in, and she at once spotted Galinda whirling around in Fiyero's arms. She smiled. They looked like they were having a great time. She turned to mention this to Boq, but faltered when she saw the angry expression on his face. But why? Was it because she couldn't dance? Did Boq want to dance? Maybe he did. And he had every right to. He was so good that the only reason he had asked her to this dance was probably because he felt sorry for her. To not make a fool of herself further, Nessarose let go of his hand, and took a good, long drink from the cup. A moment later, she leaned over, and spit it out. She looked around quickly, and hoped no one had noticed.

"What's in this punch?" she asked timidly, while Galinda tripped over her heels, and Fiyero caught her.

"Lemons and melons and pears," Boq replied, still watching Galinda and Fiyero intently.

"Oh my," Nessarose muttered, feeling sick. When an Animal came by to pick up the trash, she smiled kindly, whispered a thank you, and gave her cup to him.

"Listen Nessa," Boq said suddenly, turning to face her. She felt her face go red, and not because of the heat inside.

"Yes?"

"I've got something to confess. the real reason why I asked you here tonight. I know it isn't fair, but..."

Nessarose sighed. She had been right all along. And she didn't need to take his foolish time anymore. "Oh Boq. I know why." Boq looked relieved.

"You do?"

"It's..." Nessarose's voice cracked. "It's because I'm in this chair. And you felt sorry for me. Well, isn't that right?"

Nessarose studied Boq's face as it went through several emotions. The first one was annoyance, then confusion, then anger, then, it finally settled on pity. Or at least, that's what Nessarose thought it was.

"No," he said. "It's because-because..." he stuttered upon seeing her face. "It's because you are so beautiful!"

Nessarose felt her stomach turn completely, and she would have emptied its contents if she had any. "Oh, Boq!" she exclaimed happily, grabbing his hand once more. So he wasn't ashamed of her! "I think you're wonderful! And we deserve each other, don't you see this is our chance? We deserve each other, don't we, Boq?"

Boq had been gazing at her, but his eyes had been flickering over to Galinda and Fiyero every so often. But now, he stood up, with what seemed like energy.

"You know what? Let's dance."

"_What?"_

"Let's dance!" Boq wheeled her into the center of the dance floor, and Galinda shot her a smile, which Nessarose returned completely. He bowed to her, and in a moment, whirled her around on her chair, and she even felt a little free. She shot her hands up, and giggled happily, as Boq pushed her.

Nessarose predicted they had been dancing for about two minutes, when the music suddenly stopped. Nessarose looked around, confused, and then she spotted Elphaba.

Elphaba was standing at the main entrance, wearing the most hideous hat she had ever seen. Not only that, but all the girls were wearing formal dresses, but Elphaba just had on a simple frock. Nessarose opened her mouth to tell everyone to stop staring. But her voice wasn't working right now. She just wanted to sink into the shadows and disappear.

Elphaba flushed a darker green, and took the hat off. But after a moment, Feisty Elphaba returned, and she slammed the hat back on her head, despite the mutters of surprise around the room.

Nessarose looked at Elphaba, who was watching someone. Nessarose turned, and saw a very pale Galinda with an expression of... was it guilt? She looked between the two girls slowly, until Elphaba stepped forward and began to dance by herself a very strange dance.

No one moved a muscle. Elphaba continued to dance awkwardly, and Nessarose knew how embarrassed Elphaba would be feeling. She looked up at Boq, who also had a similar expression of pity on his face.

A click of a heel. That's what Nessarose heard, and she snapped back, to notice Galinda, holding what looked like a white stick, a _wand, _and she cut in. She stepped next to Elphaba, and whispered something in her ear. A moment later, Galinda was doing Elphaba's strange dance. When everyone saw Galinda step in, the music slowly began once more, and slowly everyone joined in.

The music picked up the pace, and eventually, Nessarose was forced out of the circle of dancers, because she couldn't, well, dance. She sat at a corner, looking for Boq, but she didn't see him. A moment later, he appeared, and sat next to Nessarose, on a chair, and he had a dark look on his face as Galinda and Elphaba both came out of the circle, gasping for air and laughing. The two looked like they were having fun, and Fiyero hung around them, watching as both girls fanned themselves with an amused expression on his face.

But Nessarose's eyes wandered back to Galinda's hand. She was still holding what looked like a wand. But how? Sorcery... she had never told anyone, but she wanted a wand of her own. Nessarose couldn't explain it, but she thought that if she had a wand, she would feel more powerful. That way, no one would ever laugh at her again.

"You're staring at Galinda too?" came a voice from her side. She jumped slightly, then noticed it was only Boq.

"No, not at Galinda. I just noticed that she has a wand-"

Nessarose suddenly stopped. _What? _'You're staring at Galinda _too?'_ So that was who Boq had been staring at all evening. Of course. He was jealous of Fiyero being with Galinda. And she couldn't blame Galinda for being so beautiful. But she _wanted _Boq. She wanted him to hold her, to hug her, to gaze at her just as he did with Galinda. And she wanted to make him happy, and be able to walk with him, and dance, and be her own person.

But of course, it was only a dream.

"I'm tired, Boq," Nessarose said, and began wheeling herself out through the handicap entrance. "See you Monday. Tell Galinda thank you, from me, please."

Boq simply nodded at her, and took her hand once more. Nessarose looked over at him. "Good night, Nessa. I really did have... a great time."

"Me too," Nessarose answered, truthfully. She then began to wheel herself out again, only to be stopped by Elphaba, Fiyero, and Galinda.

"Nessie, how did it go with Boq?" Galinda asked, with her eyes bright and happy. Nessarose simply smiled and nodded her head, while Fiyero looked around.

"Oh, hey, I see Boq! He's sitting by himself. Do you want me to walk you all home or-"

"No, but thanks plenty, dearest!" Galinda said, kissing him. Nessarose turned away, and felt Elphaba's hand on her shoulder. For her sake, Nessarose smiled a bright, happy smile, and waited for Galinda and Fiyero to stop kissing. A moment later, Galinda and Fiyero broke apart, breathing heavily, and he winked at them all before disappearing into the crowd.

"Let's go home now," Elphaba said, pushing Nessarose's wheelchair outside, where the air was fresh and cool. It was past eleven, and it would be completely dark if there were no lights on the streets.

"Galinda, you can wait for Fiyero if you want. I'll take Nessa home."

"Oh no, no, no, no. No. I'm coming."

Elphaba shrugged and began pushing. Actually, the staff dorms were close, so they walked slowly.

"Did you have fun, Nessa?" Elphaba asked, and Nessarose wished Elphaba would look somewhere else. But both she and Galinda watched Nessarose.

"A lot of fun!" Nessarose said, in her best Galinda voice. "Boq was so sweet. But I'm so tired now."

Elphaba quickly nodded, and picked up her pace. It was getting very late. A few more silent minutes later, Elphaba left Nessarose at her doorstep. Madame Morrible opened the door, and smiled down at Nessarose and and Elphaba.

"Oh, Miss Nessarose, I was wondering when you'd be back. Goodness, it's late. Good night, Miss Elphaba," Madame Morrible called to Elphaba who was now stepping away. Nessarose waved, until Elphaba turned around and realized Galinda wasn't there. "Shi... Shirt." she quickly stuttered, because Madame Morrible was right there. "I think Galinda just went Oz knows where. See you tomorrow, Nessie! Bye Madame Morrible!"

Nessarose watched Elphaba disappear, and she smiled shyly at Madame Morrible who smiled at her and pushed her to her room.

"Thank you, Madame Morrible. I had a fun night. Good night, now!"

"Good night, Miss Nessarose," Madame Morrible said, before smiling, and closing the door. Nessarose pulled out her mirror and her journal with a sigh, but not before she heard some noise coming from Madame Morrible's room. She shrugged the uneasy feeling off, and instead, changed into her pajamas. But she could still hear a noise.

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**Author's Note: Slow chapter, I know, but the next one comes Popular! Can't wait to write that! Anyway, for reference, Galinda said a couple of things that you should keep in mind. It's really not important, so I'll tell you what when I start making sense again! xD **


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

**Disclaimer: I. Do. Not. Own. Wicked.**

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Elphaba cursed goodness, as she wandered around the streets, trying to find where Galinda could have possibly gone. She had been walking with her one moment and the next, after saying bye to Nessarose, Galinda was simply gone.

"Blonde roommate," Elphaba muttered to herself, as she looked at OzDust Lane. Galinda was still nowhere to be found. And Elphaba had been looking for about fifteen minutes.

'Bubble Pass," Elphaba squinted, trying to read the street name. OzDust Lane connected to Bubble Pass, which connected to Wizard's Goodness Street, which connected to Yellow Brick Road, to Munchkin Street... It was too much to remember. Elphaba simply wandered around, looking for a hint of pink or blonde somewhere.

"Elbaphaba!" Elphaba's eyes widened, as she saw Galinda at the top of a tree, looking very ready to jump down. Her eyes widened, and she clutched her heart.

"Galinda!" Elphaba hissed. "Get down from there this _instant_! And no, don't you dare jump off, you need to climb down now!"

Galinda whined, but obeyed and began climbing down. She was about five feet from the ground when her heel slipped, and she went crashing down. Elphaba, although extremely annoyed, ran forward, and managed to sort of interfere with the fall. Galinda stood up a moment later, and began giggling. Elphaba just grabbed ahold of her wrist, and began walking back to her dorm.

"Oh! Gasp! There's more bubbles! There was bubble in that tree, you know. I saw a bubble. And I was trying to reach it."

Nervously, Elphaba looked up. There were no bubbles. "Just take your medicine next time, Galinda. When we get back, you are going to take that dress off, put on your pajamas, have a drink of water, and go to bed. You're just tired. Now will you tell me why you were trying to commit suicide by jumping off that tree?"

"I don't know what suicide is. But I wasn't trying to do that. I just wanted to see what it would feel like to fall. I did it before. I almost jumped off my balcony. But Popsicle kept it all locked up. I also jumped off of a tree once. But that hurt. There were men dressed in white who used needles on me. It hurt. And electricity."

Elphaba kept her mouth shut. Yes, Galinda did seem stupid enough to stick her fingers in a light socket or something. She rolled her eyes, and finally, spotted their dorm just ahead. Elphaba fumbled with the key for a moment, and a moment later, the door burst open. She dragged Galinda to her bed and told her to sit. Galinda obliged, but kept swinging her legs quickly, and she bounced up and down on her bed. Elphaba warily grabbed a pillow, and sat on her own bed, watching Galinda.

"Your very first party ever? Your very first party!" Galinda squealed, and Elphaba fought the urge to just go knock the girl out to make her stop shaking and just go to sleep. "Oh I know! Let's tell each other something we've never told anyone. I'll go first." Dramatically, Galinda kicked off her heels and jumped on Elphaba's bed. She leaned in, and with a "whisper", told her that Fiyero and her were going to be married.

Elphaba recoiled back in shock. That was so quick! They had only met this morning, and now they were going to be married? "Wait, he's asked you already?"

"Oh, no, he doesn't know yet," Galinda replied with a straight face, and Elphaba reminded herself that Galinda wasn't completely normal. Maybe in her mind she and Fiyero were going to be married, but that didn't actually mean it was going to happen in real life.

"Now you tell me a secret."

Elphaba paused. "Like what?"

"Like..." Galinda jumped up very suddenly, and despite her weakened state, ran to under Elphaba's pillow, and took the green bottle out. Elphaba gasped in anger. How dare Galinda Upland of the Upper Uplands go through her personal things? With a goal to rip her little blonde head out, Elphaba ran after Galinda and wrenched the bottle from her grasp. She heard Galinda mumble and complain, but she didn't pay attention to it.

Slowly, she explained to Galinda exactly why the bottle was so important to her. Galinda seemed to calm down enough, and stopped moving. After Elphaba finished explaining, both girls were quiet for a moment. Until Galinda suddenly gasped, pointed to the clock, and screeched, "Oh look, it's tomorrow!"

Elphaba chuckled. Galinda was an all right girl, as long as you understood that she wasn't the sharpest.

"Elphie! Do you mind if I call you Elphie?"

Elphaba tried to hide her grimace. "Well, it's a little perky," she said, unsure of what else to say, exactly.

"And you can call me... Galinda! So you see Elphie, now that we're friends, I decided to make you my new project!"

Elphaba stared at Galinda in horror. _Goodness, I apologize deeply for all the times I've cursed you. Just don't let my _blonde _roommate do this to me! _"You really don't have to do that," Elphaba said nervously.

"That's what makes me so nice!" Galinda began telling Elphaba about how she was going to make her popular. Elphaba groaned as Galinda called her "the toughest case I've yet to face". Well, of course. Did the stupid blonde girl miss the fact that she was _green? _But Galinda didn't get it.

"So let's start, 'cause you've got an _awfully _long way to go!"

Galinda turned to face Elphaba, and must have mistaken the panic in her face for sadness, because she jumped back on the bed, and hugged Elphaba, nearly strangling her. "Don't be offended by my frank analysis. Think of it as personality dialysis!"

Elphaba was pretty sure Galinda was going to need dialysis after she was done with her if she didn't stop that instant. But Galinda continued, and took her glasses off, which really just annoyed Elphaba. She could manage without glasses, but it wasn't complete... She had been used to having glasses her whole life.

"Galinda," Elphaba protested, as Galinda unbraided her hair. "You don't know what it's like to have less than perfect eyesight. I need my glass-"

"Actually, I do," Galinda said, as she put lipstick on Elphaba. "I need glasses. But I don't wear them. It's not popular, Elphie!" Galinda handed Elphaba a case with pink glasses inside. She put them on for a moment and nearly fell over. She thought _she _had bad eyesight, but Galinda was positively blind.

"How do you see the board?"

"I don't."

Elphaba decided to drop the subject then.

"Elphie, Elphie, stand up, stand up!" Elphaba smiled, and stood up. She had conflicting emotions. On one hand, Galinda was much too hyper. But she was sweet. Just being around her stupid blonde roommate made her feel nice inside. Like she actually had a friend.

"Ballgown!"

Elphaba shrieked when she saw Galinda waving a wand around madly. So Madame Morrible must have added Galinda to sorcery class after all. But just because Galinda had a wand didn't mean that she could just wave it around at her. But nothing happened, and Elphaba sighed in relief.

"Well, this is how you toss your hair!" Galinda yelled happily, and threw Elphaba on the bed. Galinda took a deep breath, tossed her hair, and giggled. Elphaba stared. Then, she noticed Galinda was expecting her to toss her hair too.

"Toss to..." Elphaba trailed off, because her hair wasn't tossable, like Galinda's short, straight hair.

"Toss toss!"

"Toss toss," Elphaba muttered, sure she was convulsing. Galinda was shaking, trying to teach her the proper arm movement, and Elphaba tried to follow her steps, but Galinda suddenly shook her head, and said in a too cheery voice, "Well... you'll practice."

"Now! For the finishing touch!" Elphaba almost whimpered, wondering if Galinda was going to make her paint her nails pink or something ridiculous. But Galinda took a pink flower out of her hair, and placed it on Elphaba's hair. The room was silent for a moment, and then Galinda squealed, clapping her arms and jumping. "Pink goes good with green!"

A moment later, she was handed a handheld mirror, and she looked into the mirror. Staring back at her was herself. But why was Galinda doing this? She didn't need to be nice to her all of a sudden. And yet, Elphaba felt as if she had a friend. In one day. Too quickly. Too much. Too little time. The room was suddenly stuffy. Gasping, she set her mirror down, and ran out of the dorm, to sit on the swing.

She could hear Galinda still jumping around the room. She smiled to herself, as she thought of her life now. Up until tonight, everything has always been dull for Elphaba. Care for Nessarose and that was it. But now, Madame Morrible was caring for Nessarose, and Elphaba had a roommate that was silly and childlike, but still, with a good heart.

"Elphie!"

Elphaba's peace was shattered by Galinda, who sat at the swing next to her. It looked like her blonde roommate had finally calmed down, for she sat without moving.

"Elphie."

"What is it, Galinda?"

"Well, I had a question with a math problem..."

"Wait, you actually pay attention in math?"

Galinda blushed. "I try to do math. But I do really bad at it. I'm stupid. But you and Nessa are smart. So smart. Could you help me?"

Elphaba shrugged, and walked back inside. Galinda followed her, and took out a pink notebook. She then pointed at a problem. The variables were p and q.

Elphaba sat on the bed, and took the pencil Galinda handed her. "What you need to do is take out the biggest number that go into all of there numbers. It would be three. And now look at the letters. There's two p's and three q's in each one. So you need to take out two p's and three q's."

She looked to see if Galinda was following, but Galinda didn't appear to be. So Elphaba sighed, and pointed to the original problem. Reading the problem sometimes helped her understand what it was asking.

"N-nine... p to the two power, and three... p to the three power...?"

Elphaba blinked. That wasn't the problem at all.

"It's ninety-six p squared, three q to the third, eighteen q to the third."

Galinda continued to stare blankly at her, so Elphaba tried a different path. "What's that problem?"

"Four b to the second."

"It's four _d _to the second."

"That's what I meant."

Elphaba groaned. Galinda really was a dumb blonde. She turned the notebook open to a clean page, and saw a pink paper fall out. Curiously, she looked at it, while Galinda blushed.

"You got a fifty-seven on Doctor Dillamond's essay? Why, Galinda? You... oh." She noticed the amount of spelling mistakes. A vague idea was beginning to form at the back of her mind. "Galinda?"

"Elphie?"

"Are you Ozlexic?"

Galinda blushed even harder, and Elphaba nodded to herself. Of course. That, also, explained a lot. Well, she knew how to tutor Ozlexic kids. Back at Munchkinland, she and Nessarose had helped a small girl with Ozlexia. Galinda, obviously, had never had proper training, and she had a severe case.

"So you are?"

"Yes," Galinda muttered, turning even darker red. Elphaba laughed, and patted Galinda on the back. "It's all right. There's nothing to be ashamed of. I'll help you out tomorrow. Now, we need to sleep, because even _my _vision is beginning to jump around."

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**Author's Note: please, please, please review! I live off of reviews! Who needs sleep and food when you have reviews? :D Now, as for explaining, let me think... Okay, first off, Galinda does want to be smart, but she's just not smart naturally. As for her seeing the bubbles, it's sort of from Kristin Chenoweth, when she did that one show once and slurred her words. xD But I hear it was her best show ever! Anyway, yes, Galinda is dyslexic (ozlexic sounded like a cool word) and this'll help with her character later. Try to pay attention to some of the things she says because they'll matter later. **

**I know I make no sense and I'm sorry abou that! But anyway, I still need help with the title, please! I had a great suggestion, but it doesn't quite fit this story because it's not all just about the past! Next chapter coems some actual plot (gasp, I know!) and it's much more interesting than this all!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Wicked.**

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Nessarose sat on her bed, reading her notes from math class. She'd already done so several times, but she was becoming restless. It was Saturday, the day after the dance, and Boq had yet to see her. Not that he needed to see her. She'd been at the dorm all day. She didn't even think he knew where she lived.

_Boq loves Galinda_, Nessarose reminded herself sadly, as she flung her notes down on her bed. She crossed her arms and looked at the wall for several minutes before sighing, and picking up her notes again.

_Four squared-_but he loves Galinda, not you, so you better quit wishing-_to the second power multiplied by the quanity of-_why are you even wishing for him, he would never love a cripple like you_-nine x to the third power_-and yet, you're still in love with him, just as much as Galinda loves Fiyero, but at least Fiyero actually loves Galinda back_-to factor a polynomial with more than-_Galinda and Fiyero actually do deserve each other, and Boq deserves someone better than you-_four terms, or exactly four terms, it is important to use the grouping_-because, face it, you're alone for life, the only people that care about you are Elphaba and Father-_technique to separate the different terms into something that can be_-and Father is alone anyway, and Elphaba knows how to deal with being different, but you can't, you can't, you can't_-factored. For example, a polynomial can be regrouped to different parts, using the communative property_-and you never will be able to deal with it, and you know you're scared of being alone, but at the same time you want independence, and you must realize that that will never happen, it could only happen-_will allow the polynomial to be regrouped, and one pairs the terms with common factors or variables-_if, for some reason, you were able to walk, you wouldn't need to depend on anyone, and then you would finally get someone to love you-

"Oh, be quiet!" Nessarose finally screamed at herself, and threw her pencil at the wall furiously. She flung her face underneath her pillows to muffle her screams, and she didn't notice Madame Morrible had entered the room, until she felt a tapping on her shoulder. Immediately, she fell silent, and emerged from under her pillows.

"Ah," Nessarose said weakly, as Madame Morrible hovered over her with a worried expression on her face.

"Goodness, Miss Nessarose, is everything all right?"

"Yes," Nessarose nodded quickly, brushing her hair out of her face. "I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me. I thought you weren't here."

Madame Morrible continued looking at Nessarose with a worried expression. So Nessarose pushed herself into a sitting position, and smiled as best as she could.

"You know, Miss Nessarose, you and I have never really sat down to have a chat. How're your classes?"

Nessarose groaned mentally. For some reason, she felt like she was with a psychologist. "Fine. My classes are fine."

"What are your grades?"

"All A's."

"Goodness!" Madame Morrible cried. "I only wish my new sorcery student were just like you."

Nessarose perked up. So Madame Morrible had decided to take a new student after all? She glanced at the wand Madame Morrible held. She had seen a similar one, yesterday, in Galinda's hand.

_In Galinda's hand._

"Galinda?" Nessarose asked, incredulously. She wasn't against the idea, but Galinda had very little mathematical ability, and according to Doctor Dillamond, no essay writing ability. So why would _Galinda _be asked to be in a sorcery class?

"Unfortunately," Madame Morrible nodded. "Your sister requested it."

Nessarose suddenly felt very cold inside. She knew it was wrong to feel jealous, but her feelings were not controlled by her mental thoughts. Elphaba had asked Madame Morrible to include Galinda over her? She felt very troubled and confused right now. Not to mention guilty. She shouldn't be jealous, and she knew it, but she felt the feeling inside her strongly anyway.

"Miss Nessarose?"

"Sorry. I was daydreaming. But I'm fine, Madame Morrible, thank you for your concern. I'll be reading my notes..." she trailed off, looking at her notes. Without noticing, she had stabbed them. "My History notes, that is."

Madame Morrible smiled kindly at Nessarose, who did her best to smile back. "Okay Miss Nessarose, if you need to talk, ever, I shall be in my room." With that, Madame Morrible walked out the door, and closed it behind her. Nessarose continued sitting, feeling her bottled up emotions taking control of her. Already, she was stabbing papers. Maybe she _should _got to talk to Madame Morrible, and tell her about Boq and Galinda and everything.

And as her gaze landed on the floor, she suddenly remembered Madame Morrible's wand. She had considered, very briefly, not returning the wand, but wiped the thought from her mind. After all, she shouldn't be alone with a wand, and she knew it. Quite honestly, Nessarose felt as if she had something wrong with her. It was very complicated to explain, but she still felt it. On one hand, she _wanted _the wand, she wanted power, to make everyone pay attention to her, at last. Nobody ever talked to her, and she wanted them to see her at last!

And exactly, these thoughts scared her. Why did she want to be noticed? Already, she thought there was something very wrong with the way her brain worked; she was fifteen, in a university, and nobody loved her. Surely there was something wrong with her. Because, if she was normal, then she would be loved, like Galinda, and with friends. But she wasn't normal.

If she wasn't like the others, then the following conclusion would be to go unnoticed, in the shadows, and live life that way. But she wanted to be the star. It was partially why she had applied for performing arts. She was not normal, and she also wanted to be noticed. And those two things couldn't come together. It was a never ending paradox.

If she could even the score, make herself fit in, then she would have a chance at love. If she could walk, then she would be normal, and Boq would love her! Her heart ached at this thought.

But what exactly would she do with power? She knew her brain worked in a strange way, and she wasn't sure she trusted herself to power. She tried to resist, and denied power, but what if she let it take over her? With magic, she could do whatever she wanted.

"Shut up," she told herself, then bit her lip. She needed to watch her language. Certainly, those words were used carelessly now, and Elphaba talked like a sailor, but Nessarose had very clean language. Maybe she _was _losing it.

"Guess I'll go talk to Madame Morrible after all. Ask to be included in sorcery class..."

Nessarose scratched her head and began wheeling herself towards the door. She pulled it open, and looked both ways down the hall. She didn't know why she did it, exactly, but it was a habit she'd grown used to. If she didn't, someone would probably run her over, and she wouldn't be able to move.

Slowly, Nessarose came to a stop outside of Madame Morrible's door. She had never spent time anywhere else besides her room, because she felt like she was invading Madame Morrible's private things. She even felt embarrassed to knock. Just as her hand was hovering near the door, ready to knock, she heard something inside. Curiously, she leaned her ear closer.

"Yes, Miss Elphaba has been showing considerable progress in her studies. Although we have had few lessons, she seems to have a natural talent for magic."

_Good. You must inform me when you feel she has had sufficient training._

Nessarose tensed. She knew she had no business with Madame Morrible's private conversations, but who was she talking to? And why were they talking about Elphaba? Nessarose had always suspected Elphaba had a thing for magic, but nobody else in their family did.

"However, there is a concern I have. You see, Miss Elphaba has requested that I include another student in this sorcery seminar. I have agreed to include her, because Miss Elphaba threatened to quit otherwise, but now I regret my decisions."

_Another student? I don't know... I think Elphaba will be enough, but it if the student can also do magic, and wants to, then two will be better than one._

Why did Madame Morrible regret adding Galinda? That didn't make sense to Nessarose, but she leaned in closer. She knew that this would only have a deadly result, but the curiosity was too much. If she were a good, smart girl, then she would go back to her room, and stay there, but this wasn't the first time she had heard Madame Morrible talking. And they were talking about Elphaba, her sister, and Galinda, her friend, so she supposed this was _partially _her business.

"Yes, two would be better than one. I agree on that. But not this student. I was looking at others, but..."

_But what?_

"I've yet to see anyone else with talent."

_Does Elphaba have any friends, relatives, or anybody who might share her thing for magic, besides this student you're talking about?_

Nessarose's breathing quickened, and her palms were suddenly sweating. What if Madame Morrible recommended her? Then, she and Elphaba could both (and maybe Galinda too!) be just wonderful together! Boq would finally love her, Elphaba would be a normal color, Galinda would perhaps lose some of her energy and begin acting a tad bit more normally, and together, all of Oz would bow down to them!

"Yes... actually, Miss Elphaba does have one sister. She rooms with me. The other daughter of the Governor of Munchkinland."

_Why does she room with you? Did no one else want to be her roommate? Is she also green?_

"No, she's a normal color, but she can't walk. She's very young, just fifteen years old, but one of the most intelligent students, from what I've heard."

_So take her as a student too! Sisters, they'll work together like a charm. And they'll already have good publicity, being the daughters of the Governor of Munchkinland. They won't be able to resist. We can grant them any wish they want. Miss Elphaba can be a normal color, and her sister will be able to walk. They could be the princesses of Oz, if they wanted._

Nessarose nearly gasped out loud. Yes! It appeared that this strange voice thought she was a good choice! She leaned her ear even closer, almost touching the door.

"Yes, I do think Miss Nessarose would be a better candidate than this other student. Her name is Galinda Upland."

_Upland, did you say? I've heard that the name of Upland has had some great sorcerers in their line. I'd like to keep it down to two, but if you believe Miss Nessarose and Miss Elphaba can both become great sorcerers, as well as Miss Upland, then bring all three of them._

"The thing is, your Ozness, I _don't _believe Miss Galinda Upland can do anything. I researched her after Miss Elphaba insisted she be included, and her grades at school were all failures. I strongly believe she would only slow Miss Nessarose and Miss Elphaba down. Let me tell you, Miss Galinda has never gotten an A in her life. And here, we have two other students with _only _A's. Not only that, but Miss Galinda can not control herself. She can not focus on studying for more than two minutes at a time."

_I don't see the problem. Just include Miss Nessarose and Miss Elphaba, then._

"It doesn't work that way!" Nessarose's eyes widened as she heard Madame Morrible's tone sharpen. "Miss Elphaba will quit unless we include Miss Galinda!"

_I see the problem now. I'm sure Miss Galinda will do fine, however. She sounds like a sweet girl._

"You don't understand! She'll slow Elphaba down so much! Miss Upland is a stupid blonde who runs around crashing into walls and giggling for no apparent reason."

Although she was extremely scared now, Nessarose felt her face turn red. How dare Madame Morrible call Galinda that? She didn't know what a sweet person she could be. The other voice was silent, so Madame Morrible continued, in a dark voice.

"I've got it. The perfect solution. I will simply arrange an "accident" for Miss Upland."

_What are you saying? Don't kill the girl!_

"If you don't want me to, then I won't. But I'll send her to the hospital for a substantial amount of time. As for Miss Nessarose, I'll include her in the seminar as a replacement. She can never discover what I'm saying. If she did, then I would have to erase her memory and not include her. I'm sure Miss Elphaba would be bright enough to break through the spell."

Nessarose still didn't understand fully what this meant, but she knew enough. Madame Morrible and this other person were evil, and they were planning to use Elphaba and her for something, and possibly kill Galinda.

* * *

**Author's Note: Hi guys! Here's another chapter! I did, after all, promise things would get more interesting! Ihope this is interesting enough. xD So somethings I'll point out. Nessarose uses the word normal a lot. But that's in her thinking, because it's what she wants. To be normal, and adored. And the person Madame Morrible is talking to, is of course, the Wizard. I know in the book he's sort of a crazy person, but this is musicalverse, and I just shifted somethings around. He can be a caring person, and he really does care for Oz, but he only wants more power. He does long to be a father, and cares for his citizens. That's all for now! Remember to ask if there's any questions!**


	12. Chapter 12

**NOTE: If you're following this story and received an email update, it's because I added a prologue, not a new chapter as to where the story is right now! Enjoy!**

**Chapter 12**

**Disclaimer: No, I ****don't own Wicked. **

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Nessarose was frozen in shock. One of the only people she trusted at Shiz, Madame Morrible, was planning to hurt Galinda? And all because Elphaba had been kind, and took Nessarose's words seriously when she said "And I only wish there were something I could do for her, to repay her." Nessarose quickly leaned away from the door, and as quietly as she could, began to wheel herself to her bedroom, trying to not make a sound. She needed to get to Elphaba, somehow. The door wasn't an option, because of the stairs. And the window was big enough for her, and only her. Not her chair too.

She reached her hand out, and turned the knob as quietly as she could, but it creaked loudly, and Nessarose's heart nearly stopped beating. She stared at Madame Morrible's door intently, scared that it would open and she would be faced with the evil woman.

A moment later, Madame Morrible's door opened, and she walked out, looking as normal as always. But she then paused when she saw Nessarose. Nessarose could see in Madame Morrible's eyes the suspicion.

"Miss Nessarose?"

"I... I was just coming to t-talk to you," Nessarose stammered, her face going red. She could feel herself beginning to sweat. Why hadn't she listened to Elphaba when she told her to learn to lie?

"Just now?"

Nessarose nodded, redder than ever with fear and worry. After all, Madame Morrible had wanted to _kill _Galinda! She needed to warm Elphaba and Galinda. As quickly as possible. But Madame Morrible definitely looked suspicious of her. Nessarose looked down at her lap, hoping she wouldn't say anything.

"Well, dear, let us talk."

Madame Morrible grabbed Nessarose's chair extremely quickly, and wheeled her to the living room. Nessarose sat awkwardly, unsure of what to do. Madame Morrible smiled at her, and returned a moment later, holding what appeared to be a camera. Nessarose stared at it.

"Don't look so worried, dearie, just talk to me."

"It's about... Boq. Uh, Boq, a munchkin boy, loves Galinda. And Galinda loves Fiyero."

Madame Morrible frowned at Nessarose, and she quickly told herself to explain a bit more. After all, she needed to sound like a stupid fifteen year old girl with little troubles like those.

"You see, Boq said he liked me, secretly. We had this dance, and Boq said he liked me a lot, but he was too shy to ask me at first. But then Galinda encouraged him to ask me to the dance, and he did. I thought he really liked me. But Galinda and Fiyero were dancing, and he couldn't keep his eyes off of Galinda. I think Galinda just asked him to ask me because she felt sorry for me."

What in Oz was she doing? Nessarose pondered why she was talking about her problems to Madame Morrible, who wanted to kill Galinda.

"I see," Madame Morrible said, while looking at the camera. "Miss Nessarose, I hope you don't mind me saying so. But perhaps the reason Boq doesn't like you is because you can't walk. I mean no disrespect in saying so, but he could be prejudiced."

Nessarose nodded. "Yes, I thought that too, but..." After a moment, she stopped. She needed to go warn Galinda and Elphaba. "You know, he said something about meeting me today, so I think I'll go see if it can work out..." She looked nervously at Madame Morrible, who was still looking through the camera. A moment later, Madame Morrible went to stand next to Nessarose, and kneeled next to her. Panicked, Nessarose tried to wheel away, but Madame Morrible held her chair in place.

"You are a fool, Nessarose Thropp. I have cameras all over this place. Look at this."

Nessarose felt her blood go cold as she looked down in dread, and a moment later, saw the video of herself listening in to Madame Morrible's conversation. She began to tremble slightly. What would Madame Morrible do to her now? She was so stupid! She should have never listened in on that conversation... but even then, she wouldn't be any better off, because Galinda would probably get killed.

"But Nessarose, you don't need to panic. You could join me. You could join the Wizard and I and be the most powerful person in history."

Nessarose gasped. The _Wizard? _But the Wizard was good! He always helped everyone. He was the wonderful ruler of Oz.

"I see that surprises you. Nessarose, you could walk. That's what you always wanted, isn't it? You could walk, and look beautiful, Nessarose. Everyone would bow down to you. They would do whatever you wanted."

Nessarose felt her breathing slowing slowly. Madame Morrible had a soothing voice. She felt like she should listen to her.

"If you wanted, we could do a spell to make Boq love you. He would adore you, and stand alongside you the whole time. And if it's Miss Elphaba and Galinda you're worried about, I wouldn't harm a hair on their heads. In fact, you three could rule Oz together."

She felt herself calming down. That couldn't be such a horrible thing, would it? Everyone watching her and Boq. Together and happy. "I..."

"You know you wish for it, Miss Nessarose. I saw the way you held my wand. We could have one made, just for you."

Nessarose swallowed hard, trying to control herself. In power, she would do nothing well. She didn't want to become abusive or terrifying.

"Step by step, Nessarose. Boq would love Galinda no more. She could step aside, and be with Fiyero."

Nessarose finally found her voice, which was low and shaking.

"Why are you doing this?"

"Pardon me?"

"Why are you... why do you need me? Or Elphaba, or Galinda? What is it about sorcery that's so great? Surely you and the Wizard could do it all."

In response, Madame Morrible reached somewhere that Nessarose couldn't see. A moment later, she handed to Nessarose a heavy, leather bound book. Nessarose's eyes widened in recognition. It couldn't be... the Grimmerie?

"The Grimmerie?" Nessarose whispered, staring at the book in awe. So the stories about a book written in the Lost Language were true, after all. But wasn't the language supposed to be... lost?

"Open it," Madame Morrible whispered in her ear. "Open it, Nessarose."

Nessarose obliged, and she gasped. The writings were unlike anything she had ever seen. She couldn't decipher a word.

"I... I can't," she muttered, disappointed. "I can't read it."

Madame Morrible stroked her hair slowly. "Neither can I, my dear. But, after years of study, I have been able to learn a few spells from it. The Wizard and I require clever people, such as yourself to decipher it all. Think about it, Miss Nessarose. Join us."

Nessarose struggled to remember why this wasn't a good idea. "And-and Galinda? She's not very... I mean, she c-can be a bit slow. Why should I trust that you won't k-kill her?"

Madame Morrible chuckled. "Very clever, Miss Nessarose. I was wise when I thought of you. As stupid as Galinda is, she's charming and beautiful. The crowd will love you all three together."

Nessarose closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Boq would love her. Finally. And she and her friends could all live happily together. Yes. She wanted this. And Father would be so proud of her when he saw her walking at the Emerald City, dressed in emerald robes!

"Okay. I'll join you."

Madame Morrible nodded, and smiled a truly creepy smile. "I thought you would, my dear. After all, who can resist power? All you must do is get rid of the people who would hold you back. Your Father, I mean."

Nessarose froze, and whirled around to see Madame Morrible. "Excuse me? Get rid of him?"

"Yes, my dear," Madame Morrible said slyly, handing her a knife. "After all, the man is old. It's long time _you _became Governor."

Nessarose finally snapped out of her haze. She was being ridiculous. She couldn't join these crazy people. If they were willing to make her kill her father, then they were capable of killing Galinda. Nessarose gripped the knife tightly. Now she had no choice. Madame Morrible wouldn't just let her go now that she knew.

Madame Morrible snatched the Grimmerie out of her hands in a moment, and stood in front of her, looking over her.

"I see defiance in your eyes, Nessarose Thropp. I knew you were a fool."

In a moment, she was trying to wrestle the knife from Nessarose's left hand. Nessarose fought back just as fiercely, refusing to let go of the knife. No. As soon as she let go, she would be defeated.

But Madame Morrible had different ideas. She was on offence, while Nessarose was defence. Nessarose squealed as Madame Morrible punched her in the arm. Although the lady was fat, she could still throw a nice punch.

"Give me the knife, Nessarose Thropp, and I shall spare your life."

But Nessarose would not be so stupid as to let go. She dodged as Madame Morrible tried to wrench the knife from her grasp again. But as she did so, she fell on the floor. Now Madame Morrible could simply hold her down. Madame Morrible must have been thinking similarly, for she tried to do exactly that.

"No! Don't! Please don't!" Nessarose begged, trying to push herself away, but in vain. Madame Morrible was trying to get her hand on her forehead or something of that sort, but Nessarose was not allowing it. Nessarose managed to get herself cornered, in the confusion. She trembled slightly against the wall.

"You look pitiful, Nessarose. I know you wished to be a star. I hardly see how you'll ever be one with the way you act."

And with that, Madame Morrible lunged for Nessarose, who yelped and moved out of the way. Yes! Yes! Nessarose quickly pushed Madame Morrible, and held her against the wall. With her left hand, she picked up the knife, ready to plunge it.

But she couldn't.

She couldn't hurt Madame Morrible. As she looked into those furious eyes, she suddenly felt pity, and her eyes filled with tears. What was this madness she was finally succumbing to? She couldn't kill anyone, or even hurt them. Why was she even considering it? Her lower lip trembled as Madame Morrible sneered at her. She held her for only one more second. She then lowered her arm, and in a moment, Madame Morrible was pinning _her _against the wall.

Her eyes filled with tears as the knife was wrenched from her. A moment later, Madame Morrible placed her hand over her forehead, and seemed to be muttering some words. Nessarose blinked confused, and she suddenly felt darkness washing over her, urging her to give up. She did, and went limp against the wall.

* * *

Madame Morrible smirked as she watched Nessarose Thropp fall into a crumpled heap on the floor. Finally, the stupid girl had been fighting, as if she could. No one could match her own power, and even if Nessarose did, she would never be able to kill her. She had seen the fear and pity in Nessarose's eyes. Hesitating when you were about to be killed was the stupidest things anyone could do, even stupider than Miss Galinda walking into a wall.

Madame Morrible lifted Nessarose into her arms, and was surprised to discover how light she was. She carried her to her bed, and dropped her on it, thankful that she had already been wearing her pajamas. That way, she wouldn't question a thing in the morning.

Her Sleeping Spell had worked, and now the only thing she could do was hope her Memory Spell worked too. It was only short term memory; one day's events, and Madame Morrible knew as well as anybody that Nessarose had stayed at the dorm all day, reading her notes.

If the Memory Spell did not work, then she would simply have to kill Nessarose. She would have killed her then, but it was important to keep Elphaba happy. After all, Elphaba would be the key to their success.

She began chanting the spell she had memorized for the memory loss. Reading it from the Grimmerie directly would do no good, because she couldn't read the wretched book anyway. She only hoped Elphaba would be able to read it, even if Nessarose hadn't been able to.

After she was finished, she left Nessarose alone, and closed her door. Now she needed to get rid of Galinda, so that Elphaba could zip through her studies.

Earlier, she had noticed that Galinda was very hyper, and tended to over-do things. From her medical record, apparently Galinda had tried to jump off of a balcony once, and had actually succeeded in jumping off a tree. The doctors were unsure if she was trying to commit suicide, or simply being silly, because all Galinda said was that she saw bubbles. This, of course, didn't help anyone in the slightest.

But this proved to Madame Morrible that she _could _get rid of Galinda, and place all the blame on the stupid blonde girl. She would simply have to say she had been depressed for some time, mark it as a suicide, and move on. Killing the girl wasn't needed, however. Just bedridden at the hospital for some time. In fact, if Galinda were to cast a spell wrong...

Madame Morrible would tell Galinda to do a spell, and tell her it was for something else. When Galinda would do the spell, she would get herself killed. It was only a matter of finding the _right _spell, now.

"I guess Galinda will have an accident after all..."

* * *

**Author's Note: Oh, how bad was it? I tried to make a good action scene but failed epically. By the way, be afraid for Galinda. Be very afraid. xD Next chapters are slow ones, until we get exactly into a certain... thing which I shall not mention. As long as the name for this story should still be "Wicked: The Whole Story", it means I'm still looking for a name. If it changes, then yay, I got a name! I don't think there's anything I need to explain right now but PLEASE review. I know it's not smart to ask, but I just love reviews! They're the only things that make me keep on writing. Remember to ask if anything confuses you. I have a strange writing style where nothing interesting happens in the beginning, and then too much happens at the end. It's part of being me. xD**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Wicked.**

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Elphaba was startled awake when she felt something thrown at her. She snapped her eyes open, and glared around the room. The clock read six in the morning. Elphaba looked around, trying to find her attacker, and saw Galinda sitting on her bed, jumping up and down with excitement.

"Go to sleep, Galinda," Elphaba groaned, putting her pillow over her head. That stupid blonde thing she called her roommate never woke up at six during the weekdays, but she was all happy to wake up at dawn on the weekends? What kind of crazy, screwed up logic was that?

"Elphie! It's Sunday!"

Elphaba didn't respond, trying to embrace her dream again. She had been standing with the Wizard, in front of all of Oz, at the Emerald City, and she wasn't green anymore! All of the citizens called to her joyfully, and the Animals applauded her for giving them equal rights. She stood there, with the Wizard, feeling things she had never before felt-

"Elphie! Didn't you hear me? It's Sunday!"

Elphaba raised her head up enough to look at Galinda, very annoyed. "I'm glad you learned the days of the week. Now go back to sleep, or you'll never live to see Monday."

"El-_phie!"_

"That's it," Elphaba growled, yanking her covers up. In one swift, fluid motion, she grabbed Galinda, who struggled, and put her back in her pink bed. "Go. To. Sleep!"

But of course, she couldn't be so lucky. Goodness wouldn't give her one single break. Galinda couldn't simply go to sleep and wake up at an appropriate time. It was all too complicated to even imagining a Galinda who did what she was told.

"It's Sunday!"

"I've noticed!" Elphaba yelled, and then covered her ears, moaning. If one more squeaky sound escaped that blonde girl's mouth, she would-

"No, Elphie, you don't understand! I promised Fiyero you would help us with math today! He's coming over, and all of us together are learning math with you!"

Elphaba's blood boiled. That girl! She had made plans with her without telling her? Where was the justice? "The _hell _you did, Galinda, because I have better things to-" She broke off suddenly, when Galinda gasped, and pointed at Elphaba, with her eyes wide open. Elphaba suddenly felt self conscious. Maybe there _was _something in her teeth. "What?" she asked, sliding her tongue over her teeth, which felt free of anything.

"You... you said the _h word! _I can't believe it Elphie!"

Now Elphaba was considering breaking something. "And? Who gives a dam-?"

"No, Elphie, don't, don't!" Galinda squealed, covering her ears, looking very frightened. Even Nessarose didn't freak out this much.

"Momsie and Popsicle said to never say those words, Elphie! So don't say them!"

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "Well, my sweet," she began, gripping her pillow so tightly that her knuckles were pale green. "In case you haven't noticed, your parents aren't here. So you open up that little pink mouth of yours and say whatever you want to say. And hell isn't even a bad word."

But Galinda had now begun to sob loudly, with no actual tears. Elphaba watched her for a moment, amused, before raising her hands. "Galinda, shut up. I won't say anything now. Just quit your wailing and go back to sleep."

Galinda stopped wailing surprisingly fast, for someone that had been "crying". She jumped up, with a bright smile on her face, before starting again. "Elphie, it's Sunday!"

Oh, couldn't they ever have an actual conversation? "I've _got _it, Galinda! You've told me so many times! But I don't want to help you and Fiyero. None of you will ever learn. Besides, I'm visiting Nessa, I have better things to do than teach you math!"

It was amazing how Galinda could go from happy to sad from one moment. And the girl was supposed to be twenty years old. Now, she scrunched up her face again, threw herself back on her bed, and sobbed loudly. But Elphaba couldn't stand the sound.

"Shut up!"

Galinda continued as if she hadn't heard.

"Shut _up!"_

And miraculously, Galinda shut up. but she sat up in bed, and offered her most angelic smile. Elphaba turned away. She knew what was coming. She would do her big pleading gray eyes thing.

"Please Elphie? Pretty please with a strawberry on top?"

Elphaba just shrugged, and muttered a yes. If she didn't, then Galinda would hop right back on her bed, and continue crying, with a higher pitch each time.

"Oh, Elphie, thank you! Thank you, thank you, thank you! Thank you, thank-"

"Galinda, I'm not blonde like you. You only need to say things once to me. Now, what time if Fiyero coming?"

"Eleven."

"Well, it's _six, _so I'll go back to sleep, if-"

"Elphie, it's six!"

"_I get it! _Galinda, I get it! It's Sunday. It's six. Fiyero's coming at eleven. I get it!"

"But, Elphie, it's six! Today is the submission for Mizz Shiz! I got the applications yesterday. One for you and one for me. The winners will be announced on Friday! On the day the winner is crowned, so Saturday, the contestants accepted need to go to Shiz Square. The judges will walk around, and grade each girl! I want to win, Elphie!"

Elphaba groaned. "Well, you can go ahead and submit. You'll win and you know it. But I don't like beauty pageants."

"Elphie!" Galinda whined. "This isn't just a beauty pageant! Don't you know; the winner gets political power! They said that one Mizz Shiz came to be a secretary for the Wizard himself!"

Elphaba perked up immediately. "What?"

Galinda nodded, looking obviously pleased with herself that she had managed to get Elphaba's attention. "Yes, Elphie! Don't you want to meet the Wizard? You mumble about it every night and you also talk about some blonde girl you don't like."

Elphaba paled, and bit her lip. She didn't know she talked in her sleep. She waited for Galinda to flip out once she found out about the blonde girl she didn't like. But Galinda didn't notice it. Elphaba sighed in relief; sometimes, it _was_ good to have a stupid, blonde roommate.

"So," Galinda continued, "fill this thingy out, and then we can pinkify them and put them in the application box!"

Elphaba scratched her head. She did want to meet the Wizard. Very badly. So she nodded reluctantly, and took the application. It asked really simple questions like her special talents and things. Maybe it _wouldn't _be too bad. Apparently, contestants would be alerted by Friday, and they would report to the Shiz Square on Saturday. Thinking it couldn't hurt, Elphaba filled hers out.

"Where do we take them?"

"Oooh, outside, right next to the cafeteria. Then we can go to Oz Orders and get the lunch I ordered for today!"

"I'm vegetarian, Galinda," Elphaba sighed, thinking about how much meat Galinda must have ordered.

"Me too."

Elphaba turned to look at Galinda with her eyebrows raised. Was her blonde roommate really vegetarian?

"Let's go submit, Elphie, let's go, let's go, let's go, letsgo, letsgoletsgoletsgo-"

"Galinda, shut up please. Just for a little while."

Smiling breezily, Galinda pretended to zip her lips, but as she did so, she also pretended to throw the key away. As she did, her heel caught against the foot of the bed, and Galinda tumbled backwards, onto the ground.

"Galinda?"

Elphaba rushed forward to get Galinda, who looked perfectly fine. But Galinda had her face scrunched up and was holding a really high pitched sound.

"My knee has a boo boo!"

"Oh, Galinda," Elphaba groaned, looking at Galinda's perfectly fine knee. "Let's go. Come on. Or else I won't submit."

That worked like a charm. Galinda shot up, and opened the door. Elphaba walked out with a sigh, and Galinda followed her, jumping around. After about one minute of walking, Galinda stopped and pointed at the sky with a gasp.

"The sky is blue!"

"Not now, please, people are going to start noticing."

"But Elphie, the sky is blue!"

"Don't start this again."

"It's not always blue!"

"Well, it gets dark later. That's called 'night', Galinda, my sweet."

"No, no, that's not what I meant. It's pink sometimes!"

Elphaba decided not to argue her point. After all, Galinda would be Galinda and that was that. As they dropped their submissions off, they entered the cafeteria, which was really just a whole bunch of food courts together. There was a special place called Oz Orders, where you went if you had ordered takeout. It was expensive, so Elphaba never went there. She didn't know if Nessarose did, but she knew Father would be happy enough to buy it for her. But Galinda's parents were a whole different story. They just gave her her little cash card, which never ran out of money. Elphaba wondered how that worked. She had seen Galinda go on some _really _expensive shopping sprees, which consisted of dresses made out of rare pink diamonds. Actually, Elphaba herself had ran over that specific dress that other day. But Galinda had simply returned that night with a replica of the dress, and an emerald encrusted dress. Well, the stupid girl could go and waste her money, Elphaba thought. But she'd have to learn someday that you couldn't just go and get another pink diamond dress whenever you wanted.

"Elphie, what's... Oh, look, a bubble message!"

Elphaba was about to take Galinda back to her bedroom, because seeing this many bubbles couldn't be healthy. But to her surprise, a bubble floated next to Galinda a moment later, and popped. A little note fluttered down to Galinda's hands.

"Wh-what is that?" Elphaba stammered, not used to feeling quite so surprised. Not even when Galinda had told her that she had jumped off a tree had she been quite so surprised.

"Bubble message! It's what Momsie and Popsicle use to send me messages. I think Popsicle had magic in him or something. But I don't. The point is, Elphie, that Momsie and Popsicle want to know more about my roommate. I told them you were green. They didn't care, but they did want to know more about you."

Elphaba gave a Galindalike sigh, and tugged at her braid. Galinda had tried to make her wear her hair down, but Elphaba had refused.

"Just tell them the basics, Galinda," Elphaba said, still pulling Galinda's hand swiftly, as the girl could walk away without even noticing it. "I'm eighteen. I'm majoring in sorcery too. I'm helping you with math."

"They already know all that about you! I wrote to them yesterday. But they're confusified as to why we didn't like each other before, and now we do."

Elphaba could come up with a few reasons about why they hadn't been friends, but she kept her mouth shut. After all, they still needed to get those food orders. But Galinda would simply not stay put. She tried to skip off, until Elphaba lifted her up. Galinda was absolutely tiny, and so skinny, that she weighed nothing in Elphaba's strong muscles.

"No! Put me down! I can walk, Elphie!"

"Obviously you can't," Elphaba muttered, ignoring Galinda's squeals. When they finally arrived at Oz Orders, Elphaba set Galinda down and went to the register herself.

"Hello? We have an order. Upland."

"Yes, we have it. Took quite a while to complete. But you're not Miss Upland. You're green."

"Glad you noticed." Elphaba shook her head, and for once, thanked goodness that she was not Galinda. She didn't think she could stand it if she had a stupid blonde brain.

"Galinda, get your blonde head over here! You need to pay!"

Galinda skipped over, holding Munchkin Beer. Elphaba's eyes bulged. What the hell was Galinda thinking? Did she _want _to spend the day at jail?

"What's this?" Galinda asked, holding up the beer. The cashier tried to keep his face straight, but ended up doubling over in laughter. Although Galinda said she was twenty, she didn't look like it. Elphaba gently pried the beer from her hands, and shook her head.

"That's beer, my sweet."

Galinda's face turned sour. Elphaba assumed Galinda must've known what beer was, then. "Tried that once," Galinda muttered, still with her nose wrinkled. "I took a sip from Popsicle's cup. I thought it was dark strawberry juice. But I don't remember what happened after that."

"Dark strawberry juice? What?"

Galinda shrugged, and took out her shiny student card. Elphaba glared at it. She wished she had that much at her disposal. Galinda had already offered to buy her whatever she wanted, but Elphaba honestly felt that that would be taking advantage of Galinda. She had the brain of an eight year old, sometimes. A moment later, the cashier's machine went _Ding! _and he blinked with surprise. "Here you go, uh, Your Upness."

Galinda smiled cheerily, and walked over to the back. She must've been here before then, Elphaba guessed. But then Galinda walked out, pulling a wagon filled with food, and Elphaba nearly had a heart attack. She knew that Galinda went overboard, but _this? _Why couldn't she just have gotten an Ozcream sundae for them all like a normal person?

"Let's go, Galinda," Elphaba hissed, taking the wagon which Galinda very obviously could not pull. Galinda told her to stop, and climbed to the top. Elphaba sighed, but went along with it. This way, she didn't have to wheel the wagon and be looking out for Galinda.

When they finally got to their dorm, Galinda hit a little button on her side of the room, and a long table slid out of the wall. Elphaba just stared. Then, Galinda took out all the food and placed it on there. To her surprise, she had a side labeled "Meat", and one labeled "Vegitriens: that maens me and Elphie".

"Oh, look, you spelled my name right, but you need some work with... oh, never mind. Galinda, why is there a "Meat" side? I can't stand it!"

Galinda nodded sadly. "Me either. But Fiyero does. And I want him to like me back. He's perfect. And I love him. But I want to converify him to vegetarian."

Elphaba played with her braid uncomfortably. "Look, Galinda," she began, because she could really see love in Galinda's eyes and it bothered her very much. Fiyero was just as stupid as Galinda, and Elphaba doubted they would end up together. Two stupid persons just didn't go together. "I think you should slow things down. What if Fiyero doesn't-"

"No! Elphie, don't say that! I love him, I really do!" And the problem was, Elphaba could tell that Galinda did love him. But before she could interrupt, the doorbell rang, and Galinda "toss toss"ed her hair before opening the door and throwing herself at Fiyero.

"Hey, Galinda," Fiyero said, chuckling, as Galinda clung to him, and he picked her up because she wouldn't let go. Elphaba turned away so Galinda wouldn't see her bursting from laughter, but Fiyero noticed, and smiled a bit at her. In reply, she gave him the most sarcastic smile she had ever done in her life.

It was all cute at first, but after three minutes, it was really getting annoying. "Are you done yet, Galinda?" she asked, with her teeth gritted. Galinda "mhm"'d from Fiyero's chest, where she was cuddled, and Elphaba rolled her eyes.

"Well, if you two want to be here alone, don't let me stop you. I think I'll go visit Nessie..."

"No, Elphie, come back! I'm all done! I'm ready to smartify my brain with math!"

Elphaba's spirits fell as she realized there was no getting away. She pulled a chair to the table where Fiyero and Galinda were sitting, and took her pencil. Maybe she could teach them how to factor a stupid polynomial quickly and be done.

"You have to see what goes into all of this. It's four, twelve, and sixteen. So four would go into all of them, wouldn't it? Galinda? Why are you looking at me like that?"

Galinda sighed, and pointed at the numbers. "But four doesn't go into twenty-one, Elphie! It goes into twenty. Nessa told me the other day. But it doesn't go into twenty-one! Or does it?"

Elphaba reminded herself that she needed to have patience. A _lot _of patience. She closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. "No, my sweet, four doesn't go into twenty-one. But that's not a twenty-one. It's twelve. And four goes into twelve."

Galinda gasped, suddenly. Fiyero held her tighter. "Oh! I get it! Four goes into four, twelve, and twe- I mean, sixteen! So, it would be like dividifying a four out of them all. Isn't that what Miss Maysomething said? That we have to put the four outside the house?" She turned to Fiyero, who nodded.

"Yes, I think so, Galinda," he said, kissing her forehead. She began giggling like an idiot. _Well, she _is _an idiot, _Elphaba thought to herself. _But she's my idiot after all. I need to watch over her. _

"And Fiyero, if you get it, then what the fu-hell, are you doing here?" she asked, after a squeal from Galinda.

"Elphie! You promised! You said the h word!" she jumped out of Fiyero's arms and started running around the small room. Fiyero watched, amused, and Elphaba lowered her head into her arms. Now what would she do?

"To help her."

Elphaba raised her head, only enough to see Fiyero smiling down at her. She scowled.

"I know she doesn't know math too well. I figured we could both help her."

"We'll work together when Animals get equal rights as us!" Elphaba snapped, standing up and marching towards the kitchen to breathe without Galinda screaming in her ear. She wasn't sure, but as she left, she thought she heard Fiyero say "Well, you're an Animal and you have equal rights as me, don't you?"

* * *

When the doorbell rang, Elphaba nearly died with relief. "Stay here," she said quickly to Fiyero and Galinda who were sitting on Galinda's bed, with Fiyero trying (somewhat successfully) to teach Galinda the difference between the letter "t" and an addition sign. They had begun eating a while ago, and Fiyero had disgustingly eaten several hamburgers. Elphaba actually let Galinda hug her as they held each other in horror.

"Oh, Nessa," Elphaba nearly squealed with joy. Yes, finally someone who could sit in a room without giggling randomly or making a comment about their shaggy, brown hair! Elphaba swooped down and hugged Nessarose tightly, who was hugging Elphaba too, but looking a little surprised.

"Happy to see me?"

"You have no idea. Come on in."

She held the door open, and Nessarose wheeled herself in, wearing a simply blue dress. She spotted Galinda's facial expression and Fiyero's wince, and had to turn to keep from laughing. But Elphaba didn't find it amusing.

"Laugh about it, Nessie, but you try teaching her math and see how she takes it! She's simply ADHD, Ozlexic, and _stupid._"

Nessarose nodded. "I can see the love."

"Nessa!"

They both turned to the bed, where Galinda rolled off her bed, and ran over to Nessarose. She nearly crashed against Nessarose, but Elphaba held her arm in time.

"Fiyero and Elphie are teaching me math! They're smartified like you! We have food, so you can have some."

Galinda skipped to the food table and she taped an "and Nesa too" sign to the side for vegetarians. Nessarose snorted, and scratched her hair awkwardly.

"Thanks, Galinda, but it's two s's... never mind. I only dropped in for a moment. Hey, Fiyero. Please, go back to what you were doing." They did, and Elphaba wheeled Nessarose next to her bed, where she flopped down.

"So, Nessie, how've you been ? What did you do today? What did you do yesterday?"

"Why are you asking me so many questions? Please don't worry, Elphaba, I'm fifteen, I can take care fo myself. Not that age matters, if you're talking about taking care," she added, glancing at Galinda who had now poked her eye with her pencil.

"Don't even mention that blonde girl to me, Nessarose. Just don't."

"Fine. I'll refrain from it. So what have you done?"

Elphaba began telling her about Galinda's annoying habits, and it turned into a full blown rant. She was sure she was dark green by the end of it. "And what did you do?"

Nessarose blinked. "I don't know. I woke up today and I don't really remember much of yesterday. It's sort of strange."

Elphaba frowned. She obviously wasn't taking care of Nessarose very well. Nessarose had excellent memory. "Why not?" she demanded, swinging her legs over so she could see Nessarose directly.

"I told you, I don't know! I just felt like I needed to tell you something... important... but I'll just tell you later, if I remember."

Elphaba was about to ask if Nessarose was feeling all right when she heard Galinda screech again. "Elphie!"

Elphaba collapsed against the wall with a sigh, and Nessarose only stared at her with an amused expression. "_Elphie, _don't ignore your roommate. I think I'll go now, I have to-"

"No!" Elphaba begged, feeling very stupid, but she could not stand another moment in the same room as Galinda and Fiyero. "Nessie, please, do anything but don't leave me here! Please don't!"

Galinda kept on calling, and Nessarose tried to hide her smile as she opened the door and wheeled herself outside.

"Bye Galinda, bye Fiyero! And bye, _Elphie." _she said, biting her lip and not yet managing to keep her face straight. Elphaba nearly ran after her to beg her to stay, but remembered that she had dignity and turned back to the bubblebrains.

"What? What's so important, Galinda?" she spat murderously. Fiyero seemed to sense the incoming danger, so he quickly let go of Galinda and stood up. "See you later, Galinda. Thanks for helping, Elphaba."

Elphaba shot him a death glare, and he snorted at her face before letting himself out. She stood there, shaking, for a moment, debating whether or not to go kill him. But as she heard Galinda's squeals, she told herself that the boy was probably high off of Galinda's presence, so she would have to get rid of Galinda first.

"Elphie, I wanted to see if Fiyero, you, and me could go rock climbing. But Fiyero's gone now. So let's both go! Come on, come on, come on, come on!"

Galinda stood up, and ran to the bathroom to change, even though Elphaba hadn't said a word. Elphaba was seriously considering blowing her stupid blonde roommate up. But Elphaba had always liked rock climbing, surprisingly. It wasn't boring, and she liked exercising her strong leg and arm muscles. Maybe she could take advantage of Galinda's shiny student card and do an activity where she could get her anger out without cutting off all of Galinda's straight blonde hair. She shrugged, and sat on her bed. Elphaba now refused to even go near Galinda's bed, because the whole thing smelled like strawberries. The smell really got to her some days.

A moment later, the door burst open, and Galinda walked in wearing some Shiz shorts, white, and a shirt that read "Pink Goes Good With Green!" The shirt was pink, except for some design at the bottom, and the writing. Elphaba then realized she couldn't go rock climbing with her usual uniform. "Oh," she muttered, looking down.

"Don't worry, Elphie! So now that we're friends, I made you my new project, remember? Here's your outfit!"

Elphaba almost whimpered as Galinda held out a bundle of clothes to her. "You know, Galinda, I don't feel very well actually, I think I'll just stay here. Why don't you go-"

"ELPHIE!"

Elphaba actually felt a wind go all over the room when Galinda screamed. The papers pinned on the wall fell off, and a pencil rolled off a desk. Well, clearly, arguing with Galinda would get her nowhere. With a sigh of defeat, she snatched the bundle and stormed into the bathroom. Outside the door, she heard Galinda say "I told you she would do it!" Elphaba only hoped Galinda was talking to herself again and that she didn't actually have another voice in her head.

Elphaba came out, feeling quite annoyed. She had an identical outfit to Galinda, only her shorts were black, as were her tennis shoes. Elphaba purposely stormed past Galinda, not glancing over at her, and put on her coat. It wasn't cold, but she'd rather sweat buckets than walk around with a shirt that read "Pink Goes Good With Green" and shorts that only came above her green knees. "Let's go," she snapped, opening the door. Galinda casually skipped out the door, with her straight blonde hair in a ponytail.

* * *

**Author's Note: More happy drunk Galinda! xD Just kidding, she's not drunk, but this is her normal behavior after all. I just love writing Galinda. So, how was it? I know it was slow, but I sorta needed a filler chapter. I was going to do it from Nessa's point of view as she woke up, but I really didn't know what to write. xD Next chapter comes some Fiyeraba! Oooooh! *starts running around the room just like Galinda* Extra note: *just added on 7/22 because I have my chapters ready like 2 weeks before* Thanks to Bubble for helping me come up with the name! The name credit goes to her!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

**Disclaimer: .dekciW nwo t'nod I**

"Toss to... Ugh, no. Toss toss! Toss tos-oh holy Shiz," Elphaba nearly jumped out of her skin as Fiyero stood next to her, appearing out of nowhere, watching her with an amused expression. She felt the unexplained urge to blush, but put her hands down. Stupid Galinda and the hair tossing. She should've learned by now to not take Galinda's useless advice.

"What?" she asked, defensively.

"Nothing," he said with a smirk. "It's just... you've been Galindafied. You don't have to do that, you know?" Elphaba rolled her eyes and shot him a dark look. She flopped on over to her seat. Galinda had insisted she wear a white jacket over it, and let her hair down. Elphaba had agreed, annoyed, but still pulled her hair back from both sides.

"Alright, take your seats, class! I have something to say, and very little time to say it. This is my last day here at Shiz. I am no longer permitted to teach." At first, Elphaba didn't understand what was going on. Her hands turned completely cold as she heard. What was this? Doctor Dillamond was her favorite teacher and they were simply kicking him out? No, but they couldn't do that! He was actually a good teacher, unlike some of the teachers who just sat at their desks all day and gave work. "I want to thank you for your sharing your enthusiasm, your essays, no matter how feebly structured, and even, on occasion, your lunch." Elphaba's eyes felt a sting behind them, but they went away with her anger. She stood up, and held Doctor Dillamond's hoof. "No," she whispered, and she saw surprise in his eyes. Obviously, she knew she looked like an idiot, and she couldn't see very well at all, but Galinda had told her that it was normal. Still, he looked into her eyes and she saw fear in them. Elphaba didn't understand much, but she needed to help him.

"Doctor Dillamond, I'm so dreadfully sorry." Elphaba turned to look at Madame Morrible as she entered. Relief washed over her. Madame Morrible wouldn't let them take away Doctor Dillamond that way! "Madame, we have to do something." she begged, running over to her. But she didn't lift a hand. They took Doctor Dillamond, who just called "You are not being told the whole story. Remember that!" The room was silent for a minute, with the only sound being Elphaba's heavy breathing. No! They couldn't just... no!

"Are you all just going to sit here and watch?" She asked loudly, shaking slightly. No one met her gaze. Not even Nessarose, whose face was completely white as she held eye contact with Madame Morrible. She just turned and left, and Nessarose whimpered slightly. A new professor burst in right then, but Elphaba couldn't just calm down. This wasn't just a simple substitute, this professor was replacing Doctor Dillamond. Her favorite teacher. Elphaba rubbed her temples quickly, trying to calm herself down, but her heart was still beating much too quickly. She needed to do something. "Won't someone just... _do something_?"

It happened again. Like always, she felt as if she had been turned upside down and she felt all the blood rush to her head. Suddenly, the class felt strangely empty, and suddenly, Fiyero was there, standing next to her with panic in his eyes. "What is it?" he asked, looking at her with genuine concern. Elphaba just stood there, still shaking uncontrollably. Galinda had picked a nice day to randomly disappear from class. Elphaba tucked her hair behind her ear and reminded herself to breathe. Having a panic attack right now would do no good. "I-I just got... mad..."

Fiyero steadied her as she nearly fell over, and told her to not move. All the students were suddenly frozen and no one was even moving, except for her and Fiyero. He looked around, and in one swift, fluid motion, he snatched the cage with the Lion Cub in it, and ran out the door. Elphaba felt that her legs would suddenly collapse, but she mustered all the strength she could, and ran after Fiyero.

"We can't just let him loose anywhere, you know. We have to find someplace safe!" she said, as they suddenly came to a small clearing in the nearby woods. " Don't you think that I realize that? You must think I'm really stupid or something."

"No, not really stupid." Elphaba looked around frantically, trying to see where they could hide poor little cub, who was shaking uncontrollably. As she looked around, he called her a commotion, and she chose to let her mouth do the talking while her brain was trying to calm down and remember to breathe. But out of the small corner of her brain, she heard him say something about her. She didn't know quite what, but his tone implied a lot.

"Do you think I want to be this way? Do you think I want to care this much? Don't you know how much easier my life would be if I didn't?" she hissed angrily.

"Do you ever let anyone else talk?" Elphaba blinked. _Did_ she ever let anyone else talk? When she was in a bad mood, Galinda went Oz knows where or she decided to go test out how pointy a knife was. Elphaba was considerably more annoyed when she showed her a cut, but Elphaba reminded herself that Galinda would be Galinda. When Nessarose knew she was in a bad mood, Nessarose did the smart thing and read a book. "Sorry... But can I just say one more thing? You could have just walked away back there."

"So?"

So," she began, trying to form her words exactly. "No matter how shallow and self-absorbed you tend to be-"

"Excuse me, there's no pretense here. I happen to be genuinely self-absorbed and deeply shallow."

"No you're not," Elphaba said slowly, detecting pain in his eyes. She should have seen it from the start. "Or you wouldn't be so unhappy."

"Fine, if you don't want my help-" he began, annoyance flashing through his eyes, and Elphaba shook her head to clear it out of its daze. But now, she was only more confusified. _Oh no, I need to stop listening to Galinda_, a small part of her said, while the larger part tried to pinpoint exactly why she felt so... strange. Dazed. Was it really only because of the magic?

"No, I do! I-I didn't mean for... it.. I don't know."

"What did you mean to do?" he asked her, taking her hand, which sent a jolt through her body. She began trembling more.

"Why was I the only one that didn't do it to?" Elphaba didn't know the answer to that, but she sat there on the ground, with Fiyero, and they looked into each other's eyes. A whimper nearly escaped her. "Oh look, you're bleeding. It must have scratched you," she whispered, trying to keep her voice from cracking. What was wrong with her? She felt so strange. She had her dark brown eyes connected with his sparkling brown eyes and for some reason, she didn't want to look away. She just felt so safe.

"Yeah. Or maybe it scratched me." Elphaba's stomach turned as she realized he had gotten lost in her eyes too. Well, with all the clouds and no lighting, she probably didn't look too green anyway.

"I better get to safety. I mean the cub. Get the cub to safety." Elphaba found herself nodding, but she didn't want him to go. He picked up the cage and left.

"Fiyero..."

What was this? "Elphaba, get a fricking grip on yourself right now. You never do this. Snap out of it!" But she couldn't. "Oh, sweet Oz," she muttered, trying to stand up. Her legs, however, ignored her. Where would she go now anyway?

"Hands touch. Eyes meet. Sudden silence, sudden heat. Hearts leap in a giddy whirl." she sang to herself softly, under her breath. She had heard Nessarose singing the song once, and memorized it. She didn't know why it came to her at this moment, but it definitely applied now. _Gold hair, with a gentle curl. That's the girl he chose. And heaven knows I'm not that girl_, she said to herself in her head, softly, picturing Galinda's lovesick eyes looking into Fiyero's beautiful eyes. _Oh, please don't tell me I like him! It's never happened before, why should it start now?_ If this was how Nessarose felt about Boq and how Galinda felt about Fiyero, she pitied them. It was a horrible feeling, to like someone that. But she could have sworn, that just for a moment, he seemed to genuinely be concerned for her, and like he cared.

It was different, though. Galinda had Fiyero, but did Fiyero want Galinda? Because _she_ wanted Fiyero, even though he was rightfully Galinda's. She needed to quit thinking now. _Well, you'll need to go see if Galinda's all right..._ she thought blankly as she walked forward. She then noticed that she nearly walked into a tree, and quickly blinked. Galinda's habits were really catchable.

* * *

"Galinda?"

Elphaba sat on Galinda's bed. Galinda hadn't been there that morning, but now she was suddenly in bed again? Elphaba tapped Galinda's leg. She lay on her bed on her side, facing Elphaba. But Galinda wouldn't budge. She considered doing the water thing again, but she felt bad. Galinda looked so sweet and innocent right now. If only she were sweet and innocent all the time.

"Galinda?" Elphaba tapped her leg harder, but Galinda still wouldn't budge. Now Elphaba was becoming worried; why wasn't Galinda waking up? She continued tapping her leg, but the stupid blonde girl wouldn't open her eyes.

"Galinda!" Elphaba called, and this time, began tapping her temple. This worked like a charm. Only, it worked too well. Galinda's eyes snapped open, and she began screaming. Elphaba stared in surprise and backed up. What was wrong with her stupid blonde roommate?

"Galinda?" Elphaba asked again, unsure of what to say. Galinda had now stopped screaming, but her eyes were still open wide and with fear.

"E-elphie. It's only you. I thought..." Galinda slowly sat up, and rubbed her eyes, still drooping with sleep. She tried to stand up, but fell back against the bed. Elphaba's eyes narrowed with suspicion.

"Did you take your medicine?" Galinda nodded. "You took the right amount of medicine?" Once again Galinda nodded. So Elphaba slowly approached Galinda and sat to her right.

"Then what's wrong? Why weren't you in class this morning? You never cut class." Galinda yawned, and leaned against Elphaba. Elphaba stroked Galinda's straight blonde hair, and held her. But she really was confused as to why Galinda was acting so strange.

"Where were you, Galinda?"

"Doctor. Headache. Sleep. Electric."

Elphaba completely gave up when she saw Galinda's breathing become slower. She set her back down on her bed and threw a blanket over her. Classes were over for the day, anyway, and she didn't have anywhere else to go. So she sat next to Galinda, stopping only to occasionally stroke her hair or put a cool cloth over her forehead. Maybe Galinda would feel better and tell her what was going on.

Elphaba was too busy trying to figure out her feelings for Fiyero, that she didn't notice when Galinda began stirring. It wasn't until Galinda said "Elphie?" in a small voice that Elphaba noticed.

"Oh! Galinda, good, you're awake now. I mean... are you really awake now?" Galinda nodded, so Elphaba guessed this must have been somewhat true.

"Elphie, my head hurts." Elphaba took a deep breath. Patience was important talking to Galinda about serious things. "Yes, my sweet, you told me. Now, why does your head hurt?"

"I don't remember."

"Oh, well, helpful."

"No, I really don't remember. I think... I don't remember. But my head hurt before. And now it hurts more." Elphaba bit her lip, and took the cloth off of Galinda's forehead. She saw that the hair near her forehead had curled.

"Oh, did your hair just curl?" she asked. Galinda sighed, and sat up. Her hair had indeed curled.

"Yes," Galinda said. "My hair is curly, naturally. But I don't think people like curly hair. So I straighten it." Elphaba wisely chose to not make a comment, and instead pursed her lips.

"Galinda, you need to tell me what happened to you this morning. I woke up and you were, well, gone. And now you're suddenly here. What?"

She watched Galinda closely, to see if Galinda was hiding something or not, but Galinda truly looked like she didn't remember.

"I don't know, Elphie," she said, her voice cracking. "But you need to believe me. I don't remember."

To Elphaba's relief, there were no tears. Galinda never cried, (well, genuinely cried, because she "cried" plenty of times) and she didn't know what to do with someone who was crying. But Galinda's lower lip still trembled, and Elphaba hugged her.

"Elphie, can you open my nightstand drawer, the top one, and get my bunny?"

Awkwardly, Elphaba stood up and opened the bloody nightstand. Indeed, there was a pink, blue, and yellow pastel stuffed rabbit, and she handed it to Galinda with confusion on her face. But Galinda hugged it and lay back down.

"Galinda!" Elphaba protested. "For crying out loud, you were asleep for an hour! And now you're going back to sleep?" Galinda shrugged, and sat back up, still clutching the stuffed rabbit tightly.

"My head hurts," she repeated.

"Fine," Elphaba snapped. "I'm getting the nurse. And don't you dare stop me." With that, she hit an emergency nurse button, and went back to Galinda's side. Galinda whimpered, and tried to hide under her covers, but Elphaba held the shaking girl. A few minutes later, there was a knock on the door. Elphaba opened it up, and in walked a smiling nurse.

"I'm Nurse Jenny, and in our records, we have that Elphaba Thropp and Galinda Upland both room here. Is this right?" Elphaba nodded, and quickly began speaking.

"I'm Elphaba, but I'm fine. It's Galinda," she said, pointing at Galinda who sat huddled on her bed. "She said she has a headache but she doesn't remember this morning. What's wrong with her?" Nurse Jenny and Elphaba moved towards Galinda, who didn't move at all. Elphaba stood nearby, watching as Nurse Jenny approached Galinda.

"Galinda?" she said in a soothing voice. Galinda turned, her eyes wide and gray, and Elphaba felt a strange surge of pity. "You were fine this morning. We told you to come back here. When did the headache start?"

Galinda whimpered again, and swallowed. "I don't know. I only remember going to the University Hospital and then nothing. But you said that's normal."

"It is."

"Wait. Stop. Slow down. What?"

They both turned to look at Elphaba who stood there, feeling extremely confused. It was such an annoying feeling.

"Why did Galinda go to the hospital?" Galinda didn't answer, but Nurse Jenny cleared her throat and said "Miss Elphaba, could I speak to you for a moment outside?"

Elphaba nodded, unsure of what to say, and walked out. Nurse Jenny closed the door, and looked into Elphaba's eyes. "This is a private matter. I don't know how you got to room with her, but she was supposed to be by herself. Galinda has a history of depression and she has electroconvulsive therapy. I'm not sure if I'm supposed to tell anyone, but you roomed with her, after all, so I can only imagine you watch over her."

Elphaba's jaw dropped. Out of everything, she hadn't expected this. Galinda, depressed? The girl who giggled at everything and poked her eye out? No. Impossible.

"Galinda isn't depressed! She's just really, really stupid. No offence to her," Elphaba said quickly. "But she's not depressed."'

Nurse Jenny sighed, and took Elphaba's hand. "I appreciate your supportiveness, but Galinda has tried to commit suicide several times. She tried jumping off a balcony once, and succeeded in jumping out of a tree."

"But," Elphaba struggled to say what she thought. "No. She didn't mean to! She really didn't know, she wasn't trying to kill herself, I know that, she's just slow!"

Nurse Jenny gave Elphaba a small smile, and just opened the door. Elphaba stalked in, refusing to believe that Galinda was depressed. The two didn't even belong in the same sentence. It was like saying Nessarose would present her project in front of the class. It was like saying Elphaba would enjoy the sunshine and smile happily. It was ridiculous.

"What do you need right now, Galinda?" Nurse Jenny asked gently.

Galinda blinked, and pointed at Elphaba. "Just Elphie," she whispered. Elphaba felt herself blush, but she sat next to Galinda again. Nurse Jenny just nodded. "If you need anything, Galinda, just ring again. Don't hesitate to ring, please. Remember, your next appointment is next month, on the last Friday."

Once Nurse Jenny left, Elphaba locked the door and stomped back to Galinda.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she snapped, pulling on her hair slightly. Now she had crazy Galinda to add to her list of worries.

"People don't ask me. So I don't say anything," Galinda answered, leaning against her pillow and sucking her thumb. She held her rabbit tighter and whimpered. Elphaba paced around the room, not noticing that she had pulled out a complete lock of her own hair. "

Well, da...rn. Darn," she muttered, throwing it away. Cussing in front of Galinda would only make her more upset.

"Galinda, why do they do this to you? Why do they think you're depressed? You never actually tried to commit suicide, did you?"

"Elphie, my head hurts! And I told you I don't know what a suicide is. I don't know why they think I'm depressed. But Momsie and Popsicle were really worried about me when I was little. So they said I was depressed. Elphie, come sit with me."

Elphaba paused her fast pacing, and looked over at Galinda's unhappy expression. Her lower lip still trembled, and she was still shaking. Her wide gray eyes looked so sad. Elphaba sighed, and went to sit next to Galinda, and she wrapped her arms around her.

"Oh, Galinda. Does the shock... does it hurt?"

Galinda shook her head, with all of her curls now freely bouncing. "No. You're asleep for it. But you don't remember it. Until the headache later. Elphie, my head still hurts. I'm going back to sleep." Elphaba nodded weakly, and continued hugging her stupid blonde roommate until she was asleep. Then Elphaba lay down on her own bed. The day had really drained her. The cub, and Galinda, and Fiyero. Fiyero. Fiyero. Oh, too much. Before she knew it, she was asleep too.

* * *

**Author's Note: When I uploaded this, the formatting totally disappeared so I had to read over it and guess where the new paragraphs were supposed to go. Hopefully it's not distracting! Please review! If you don't, then I'll be sad. And you don't want that, right? D: Remember to ask if there's something you don't get! i think it's all pretty explanatory, but I don't make sense sometimes!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

**Disclaimer: I'm the proud owner of Nessarose stockings and red ruby slippers from WarnerBros dot com, but not the owner of Wicked. Sigh.**

* * *

"Congratulations Miss Elphaba Thropp and Miss Galinda Upland. You've both been chosen to compete for Mizz Shiz."

"Oh, Elphie, I told you! I told you, I told you, I told you, didn't I? I told you, Elphie!"

"Shut up, Galinda, and let me finish reading this."

It was now Friday, and Galinda was one of the happiest people on Oz. First, it was the weekend, and second, now she and Elphie could compete for Mizz Shiz! She squealed and did a cart wheel out of delight. Her dress went down as her legs were in the air, and her pink underwear showed. Elphaba turned darker green and turned away, while Galinda stood upright again. At that moment, she gasped and got a brilliantified idea. She got a package of pink underwear.

"Here, Elphie! As a gift for getting accepted! Pink panties!" **(Author's Note: Credit goes to Megan Hilty for doing this. xD)**

Galinda eagerly watched as Elphie looked at the package of pink panties and snorted. "I'll wear those when monkeys fly, Galinda," she said dryly, and Galinda began to "cry". She did loud wails, and got closer to Elphie each moment, until she was screaming in Elphie's ear.

"Oh, Galinda, please. Not again. I'll wear those stupid panties if you want, but you are not choosing my dress for tomorrow."

Galinda suddenly gasped, and put her hand up to her forehead and "fainted" with perfectly pointed toes on the bed. She kept her eyes shut hoping Elphie would give in and tell her that she could choose her dress. But she just heard Elphie take a deep breath and say "Well, I guess I'll need that water again, since Galinda has passed out."

Galinda opened her eyes immediately and sat up. "No, no, no, Elphie, I'm fine!" But all Elphie did was smirk, and toss Galinda her letter. Galinda then tossed it over her shoulder and grabbed Elphie's arm, trying to pull her to the closet. But Elphie was heavy as a boulder and Galinda stood there for several minutes, trying to pull her, but with no result. Finally, she dropped Elphie's arm and panted. The whole time, Elphie had stood there, watching her with an amused expression.

"Elphie, what have you been eating? You look skinny..."

"It's called muscle, my sweet. It weighs more than fat. And you seem to lack either fat or muscle. It's not like you have much brain to weigh you down either. And you're twenty?"

"Elphie!" Galinda whined. "I'm seventeen!"

Elphie turned to her, looking surprised. Galinda stood up, proud that she had gotten a decent reaction from Elphie. "But Nessie said you were twenty."

"I told Nessie I was twenty so she wouldn't think I was some little girl. But I'm seventeen, Elphie! And I'm also definitely going to choose your dress, don't you even think about choosing it yourself. I know what you'll do! You'll choose that horrendible frock and be disqualified in a moment!"

"Like I care, Galinda. I do have better things to do than go around parading in a puffy dress. No, I don't care what you say or do, but I'm wearing my frock and that's that. But I'll wear my hair down and wear that ridiculous flower if it makes you happy."

"My flower is not ridiculous, Elphie Thropp!" Galinda ran to Elphie's nightstand and picked up the flower. She then ran back to Elphie and held it out in front of her. "Apologize!"

"Fine, I'm sorry Galinda, happy now?"

"Not to _me, _to the flower!"

"It's an inanimate object!"

"Apologize!"

Elphie was turning dark green again, but Galinda would not back down. She shook the flower slightly, and held it higher.

"Fine! I'm sorry, flower!"

And with that, Elphie snatched the flower and threw it in a perfect arch across the room so that it landed in the wastebasket. Galinda "cried" in horror and rescued the flower. "You're mean! You mean green thing!" she called, while stroking the flower. Elphie just rolled her eyes, and sat down on her bed and took a book out. Galinda thought it was stupid, so she began brushing her hair. It was the least she could do. And she needed to straighten it for tomorrow!

"Elphie," she said, suddenly. Galinda set her brush down and jumped into Elphie's bed, where Elphie's eyes widened and she scoot away from Galinda. but Galinda would have none of it.

"Elphie, you talk in your sleep. What did you mean when you said "It must've scratched you or something?" You said that last night."

Galinda watched Elphie, who turned the darkest shade of green ever. "Nothing," she muttered, and turned back to her book. Galinda waited patiently for another minute, until she noticed Elphie wasn't turning any pages.

"Really, Elphie, I'm too smart to fall for that. ('Could've fooled me,' Elphie muttered under her breath and Galinda pretnded to not hear.) If you're going to be 'reading', then you need to turn pages, silly!"

"Galinda," Elphie said, in her serious voice. Galinda wasn't scared though. Elphie would do whatever _she _wanted. "Do me a favor and forget it. Now go brush your hair and do something else to waste your time, because I'm reading a fabulous book about, ah, history."

"Why do you need to do that? You're already smartified! Nessie is too. I don't see why you two study."

"Because, my sweet, as I said the other day, we plan to get somewhere with life. Nessie needs to practice her math, and I my language and history. Nessie's extremely left handed, so she's right brain dominant. I'm extremely right handed, so I'm left brain dominant. We need to even it out, see? No, never mind. I don't even know why I'm explaining this to you."

"But I get it, Elphie!" Galinda said, excitedly. She began playing with Elphie's soft black hair. It was really pretty, naturally straight hair. "But I'm both handed, so what does that make me?"

"Stupid."

"Elphie!"

"Fine, Galinda, if you're really ambidextrous, which I doubt you are, you'd use your brain equally. But you don't. You don't use your brain at all. So now please let me read."

"Okay!"

Galinda skipped across the room, with her pajamas. She had changed into them to be comfortable now, because this morning, Fiyero had said he couldn't go on their date tonight. So now Fiyero and her were going on a date tomorrow, and he promised her he'd go see the pageant. In joy, she squealed and backed away from her mirror. She fell onto her bed and had a mad fit of giggles, earning her a pillow in the head from Elphie. This only made her laugh harder.

* * *

"Elphie!"

"Galinda, I swear, if it's any earlier than eight in the morning-"

"It's eight, Elphie, and we need to get ready! The pageant starts in two hours! Now, I've chosen a dress-"

"Didn't you hear me Galinda, I'm wearing my frock!"

Galinda began hopping around the room, excitedly. She was already completely dressed with a purple puffy dress, and her hair straightened. She wore heels as big as she could manage, because even though she was really short and she loved the extra height, she sometimes had a bit of a problem staying upright in heels. Elphie laughed whenever she fell (well, cackled, really) and Galinda had no comeback. Elphie wore no heels because she was already about six feet tall. A whole foot taller than Galinda. Elphie was also skinny, but heavier than her shoe rack. Galinda still quite couldn't figure this out; Elphie said she had muscle, so everyone must have muscle. But Galinda was skinny too, and she weighed only ninety pounds. Elphie had attempted to explain a height difference and lack of muscle theory, but it hurt Galinda's head too much to think.

A noise seemed to come from the walls themselves. Galinda jumped up in surprise, and heard Madame Morrible's voice. "Mizz Shiz contestants, please begin making your way to Shiz Square to sign in."

This was an emergency. Elphie was barely rubbing her eyes. As quickly as she could, Galinda turned on the shower and began laying Elphie's underclothes out for her. "Don't just sit there," she cried, in a panic. "Hurry up!" She managed to make Elphie choose her frock quickly and take a shower.

Eight nervous minutes later, Elphie walked out, yawning. Her hair was indeed down, and she wore her frock magnificently. Galinda shoved the flower in Elphie's hair and pulled the door open. But Elphie disappeared into the kitchen and returned a few moments later holding two bowls of cereal.

"We have to eat, Galinda. So close that door and get your little blonde head over here."

Galinda cried in exasperation. Elphie was so overprotective sometimes! "Elphie, who cares? It's just breakfast!"

"It's the most important meal of the day, that's what it is. Galinda, you have some really unhealthy habits. Once, I saw you go a whole day without eating. The next day, you spent all day in bed eating sugar cookies. That can't be healthy, can it?"

"Elphie! Who cares if I don't eat and then I eat a lot, it balances each other out."

"And Galinda, you're supposed to wake up at dawn on schooldays, not weekends. Why, may I ask, do you do the exact opposite?"

"School gives me a headache! I'd rather sleep! But on weekends, there's so much I can do! I can be with Fiyero, play with you or Nessie..."

* * *

"Oh look, Elphie, it's Fiyero! Fiyero! Over here, dearest!"

Elphie and Galinda stood, both wearing sashes that read "Mizz Galinda" and "Mizz Elphaba". They stood where they had been assigned to stand, towards the front of Shiz Square, away from the trees and the corners. Elphie was upset; she claimed she didn't want everyone to stare at her, but Galinda thought this was impossible. It was the greatest feeling in the world to have everyone look at you.

"Galinda, hi. Elphaba... I didn't know you entered. You look good." Fiyero said, approaching them. He tried to hide his surprise, but even Galinda could tell it was there. She giggled and whispered into Fiyero's ear. "I know, I'm so good! I got her to come!"

Elphie rolled her eyes and Galinda clung to Fiyero. He looked so handsome, and even though he'd become more serious, she still loved him. She loved the way he held her and carried her.

"Thank you," Elphie said awkwardly, looking away from where Galinda was still hugging Fiyero. Fiyero chuckled, and unclasped her arms from around him. "Galinda, I think you need to go stand with Elphaba now. The judges are coming."

She nodded, and gave him one more kiss. He began walking away, with the rest of the crowd, but she saw his eyes on Elphie. She must've done a really great job, then, if even Fiyero was surprised! Her giggling began, and she still couldn't stop even when one of the judges from the Emerald City stepped in front of them.

"Pleasure, sir. I'm Elphaba Thropp, and this is Galinda Upland."

Galinda put on the most dazzling smile she could think of, and she saw the judge, who was a middle aged man, suddenly turn red. Elphie smirked, and muttered "Well, don't look so pretty, my sweet," in her ear.

"And... and you two... you're competing because..." He seemed unable to complete a sentence, and Elphaba just rolled her eyes.

"You know what? I don't want to compete. Why did I agree in the first place? Galinda, in the future, refrain from manipulating people." With that Elphie tore off her sash and braided her hair. Galinda squealed, but tried to keep her composure as she noticed the judge inspecting her closely. After a moment, he walked back in a daze, and Galinda stepped close to Elphie, her cheeks burning. Couldn't Elphie humor her for a bit and stay in the contest?

"Elphie, you pick up that sash and put it on this instant!"

Elphie just ripped it into a couple of pieces and tossed it in the nearest trash can. "I don't even remember why I joined, Galinda. There's no point, with you in this. Win, and then we can leave."

Galinda nearly threw herself at Elphie to unbraid her hair, but she plastered a smile on her face. "I'll get you later, Elphie Thropp."

Elphie chuckled, and said dryly, "I'll see you try. And by the way, I'll get you too, my pretty. And your little head of curls, too."

* * *

"I was wondering how long it would take for you to give up."

Elphaba looked up from her bench, and Fiyero slid into the seat next to her. Inexplicably, her stomach flipped completely and she found herself unable to think of what to say. Instead she just cleared her throat, and replied, "Galinda is a sneaky, manipulative blonde who only cares about bubbles."

"Bubbles?" Why were his eyes such a brown color?

"Yeah, bubbles. Don't tell me you haven't seen her pointing to the sky randomly and saying there's bubbles."

Fiyero chuckled and Elphaba felt like running ten miles. If she didn't watch out, she'd end up just as hyper as Galinda.

"Actually, I have," he told her, crossing her legs. Elphaba simply gave a curt nod and turned away, watching Pfannee and Shen-shen batting their eyelashes at the same judge who had judged Galinda. Although they were both beautiful, they weren't Galinda. The judge kept on looking back at Galinda who was chasing a butterfly.

"Do you love her?" Elphaba asked suddenly, looking into his eyes. He seemed taken aback by the question, but he quickly fixed it and nodded quickly. "Yeah. Yeah, sure. I think she's sweet."

Elphaba bit her lip. Being sweet didn't mean he loved her. She, also, thought Galinda was sweet, but she also hated Galinda to the deepest cell at the SouthStairs for simply being an idiot. Of course, some other times, she loved Galinda a lot. It was a confusing emotion.

"But I like different girls," he said, suddenly, and Elphaba felt a small whimper from anticipation escape her lips. Thank goodness he didn't hear it, or he pretended not to. She was about to ask what a different girl meant, when suddenly, Madame Morrible was there on the stage, holding a little envelope in her hand. Out of the corner of her eye, Elphaba saw Galinda do a backbend.

"Ozians, gather around! We are here to announce this year's Mizz Shiz! First, we would like to congratulate all these lovely ladies for being accepted and..."

Madame Morrible droned on, and Elphaba found her hands sweating. Fiyero was still sitting next to her. Boq was walking near Galinda, who cleverly turned and walked the opposite way. There was a light breeze bringing the scent of Fiyero closer to her-

"And without further ado, Mizz Shiz is..."

Muttering filled the crowd, and people cheered for their favorites. Among them, she could hear cries for Shen-shen, Pfannee, and Galinda. Her fingers clenched. If Galinda won, Fiyero would-

"Nessarose Thropp!"

* * *

**Author's Note: So how was that? See that little review button down there? You should click it. Please! It'll only take a few seconds for you to make my day! Please! Anything at all that you might want to say! As usual, if you have comments or questions, feel free to ask! I make no sense sometimes!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

**Disclaimer: I'll own Wicked. Just not in this lifetime.**

* * *

"I didn't even know you entered, Nessie. I wish you would've told me."

Both Nessarose and Elphaba sat on Elphaba's bed back at the dorm. They had only returned a little while ago, after the Mizz Shiz pageant. Galinda had gone on her date with Fiyero, and Elphaba had stayed with Nessarose the whole time, while she was congratulated and showered with prizes.

"Elphaba, I would have told you, but I thought there was no chance! I mean, come on. _Galinda _was in this competition. Didn't you see the way the judges stared at her?"

"I'm glad I'm not the only on that noticed. You did a great job, though, Nessie. Father will be very pleased. Have you written to him?"

Nessarose went red in the face. She didn't detect any jealousy in Elphaba's words, but she figured Elphaba might have wanted the crown. Nessarose took her crown off quickly, and put it in her loot bag. With another glance over her dress, she took off her Mizz Shiz sash and stuffed it in her bag too. Elphaba rolled her eyes, and Nessarose giggled.

"Was it too obvious?"

"Really, Nessie, I hardly see why you were even trying to be discreet about it."

Nessarose scratched her head, and turned back to Elphaba. "Do you think people thought I shouldn't have one? Will Galinda be upset?" She studied Elphaba's face to detect the truth, but then again, Elphaba was a master at lying. Elphaba kept her face straight as she shook her head.

"No. Did you hear the way they cheered after they got over the initial shock? You're the youngest Mizz Shiz ever. They all liked you, naturally. And Galinda'll forget about it by tomorrow. Trust me."

Nessarose couldn't help but notice how Elphaba's eyes strayed over to her feet, where she had her silver jeweled shoes. She considered taking them off, but rejected the idea. It would've been obvious that she was trying to comfort Elphaba if she took off her shoes.

"You like them, don't you?" Nessarose asked quietly, keeping her gaze on her shoes. They were completely clean, glimmering and sparkling as the sun hit them. She heard a stirring and discovered Elphaba had turned away from the shoes.

"Yes, but not in that way, Nessie. They're yours, and I like them on you."

"I saw when you looked into the box. You thought he got something for you too."

"Can we not talk about this? Can I see the things you got?"

Nessarose noted the quick subject change and handed Elphaba her bag. But even as Elphaba looked through the golden coins and tickets for free food and such, she saw her eyes occasionally stray back to those shoes. The silence was unbearable until the door burst open and Galinda waltzed in, with Fiyero close behind her.

"Elphie and Nessie! Oh, that rhymes! Fiyero, come say hi to Nessie and Elphie!"

Elphaba groaned audibly and Nessarose put a smile on her face. Actually, as much as Elphaba sometimes didn't like Galinda, Nessarose really liked Galinda for her childlikeness and innocence. "Hey, Galinda! Hey, Fiyero. How was your..." She trailed off, uncertain of how to finish her sentence, but Galinda finished for her.

"Good! But Fiyero said we needed to come back, I don't know why. Oh, I like your crown! Can I see it? Please? Oh, thank you, Nessie!"

Galinda skipped off with the crown just as Nessarose nodded. Then Fiyero walked in awkwardly from the door and stood next to them both, who were still sitting on the bed.

"Congratulations, Mizz Nessarose," he said, smiling at her, and Nessarose smiled back, feeling herself blush. Every time she thought about being Mizz Shiz again, it made her want to scream with joy. But she really needed to go get ready for school tomorrow.

"Thank you, Master Fiyero. I'll need to go now, Fabala, see you tomorrow. Good bye, Galinda!" Elphaba helped her get on her chair and she wheeled herself out, but a moment later, Galinda ran after her and gave her her crown.

"Wait! Your crown. Here," Galinda said, jumping up on her toes with excitement. Nessarose smiled, and said a quick thank you before leaving.

* * *

"Elphie, I'm excitedified! And scarified! What if I blow something up?"

"Nothing's going to happen, Galinda. Madame Morrible will be watching over you-us, I mean, and she's not going to let you hurt anyone."

Madame Morrible's classroom for sorcery was in a corner of Shiz University, behind the cafeteria. Elphaba thought this location was good, for no one would barge in when she was in the middle of trying to start a small flame.

Galinda skipped, as usual, right next to Elphaba. They both wore their usual Shiz uniforms. Elphaba's being her dark blue dress and hat, and Galinda her short white uniform. When they finally came to the empty classroom, Galinda whipped out her wand and began beating her own head with it. Elphaba rushed to her stupid blonde roommate and snatched the wand out of her hands.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, Galinda?"

"Elphie! You said the h word again! Stop, stop, stop!"

"Fine, I'll stop Galinda Upland of the Upper Uplands, but beating yourself up with a wand is absolutely idiotic! Maybe that's why you have no brain cells!"

"Well, I needed to testify it out, didn't I? It didn't work when I was trying to fix you up with a ballgown, so I needed to make sure it worked out now!"

"It _does _work! It's your stupid brain that doesn't work!"

"It's your stupid skin that doesn't work, Elphie Thropp!"

"Don't you dare-"

"_Girls!"_

Elphaba realized she and Galinda had been face to face (well, she'd been looking down because Galinda was so short) and looking ready to kill each other. Awkwardly, Elphaba stepped back and tossed the stupid wand at Galinda who caught it, and "hmmph!"ed.

"Really, now. If you two are to learn sorcery, you need patience and you need to work together."

Both Elphaba and Galinda's mouths dropped open.

"But she's green-"

"But she's _blonde-"_

"Enough! I will not have this. Elphaba, take this seat. Galinda, take this one."

Grudgingly, Elphaba lowered herself into her seat, very much aware that she was just sitting a few inches away from Galinda. Madame Morrible sat down on her chair in front of them and took a deep breath. She looked stressed. Well, Elphaba understood. She would be feeling stressed too if she had to teach her stupid blonde roommate.

"Now, Elphaba, do you remember the fire vanquishing spell we were working on last week?"

Elphaba nodded.

"Please go to that corner of the room, while I teach Galinda here how to do the same spell, but with, ah, more assistance?"

Elphaba smirked, and stood up, making sure to "accidentally" get one of Galinda's hairs stuck in her pocket, and she wrenched it out. Galinda screeched and turned to glare at her, but Elphaba just kept on walking, refusing to acknowledge she had done anything.

At her corner, she stood next to a candle, and muttered "_Aluz levelle". _A moment later, a warm fire began and Elphaba took a deep breath. She pulled a chair next to the candle and she watched it intently, trying to "become one with the flame" and Madame Morrible had told her.

"_Aluz lefinne."_

The fire still glowed. At the other side of the room, she could hear Galinda comment about being confusified.

"_Aluz lefinne."_

Why was Galinda waving her wand around so much? Surely she didn't require it for this?

_"Aluz lefinne."_

Madame Morrible muttered something, and a moment later, Galinda's candle lit up. Madame Morrible pointed at it, while Galinda nervously eyed the candle. She was pushed forward by Madame Morrible, but even then, she didn't look too willing to get close to the flame.

"_Aluz lefinne."_

Her stupid candle wouldn't turn off! Angrily, she blew it out, and decided to start it again. After all, Madame Morrible had said to persevere at all costs. She had also mentioned that she needed to keep her physical excitement low, because an excited body could overdo the spell. A loud voice versus a soft voice also had much to do with it. Particularly, this was why Elphaba didn't practice when Galinda was around; a simple comment by the stupid blonde girl would make her voice rise.

_"Aluz levelle."_

Well, the flame would turn on. But why wouldn't the stupid thing turn _off?_

_"Aluz lefinne."_

No change.

_"Aluz lefinne."_

Still no change. And now Galinda was getting frustrated, too. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Galinda stomp her foot angrily. Madame Morrible rushed to calm her, but Galinda was now wailing loudly.

"_Aluz lefinne."_

"I shall be right back. It seems there is some commotion in the cafeteria. And please, Galinda, don't try anything..."

Madame Morrible left the room, and Elphaba groaned. But she needed to stay focused, if she wanted to get anywhere with the stupid spell.

"_Aluz lefinne!"_

To her surprise, the little flame sputtered for a moment, before going out. She grinned, triumphantly, and noticed Galinda's jealous stares from across. The poor girl was still trying to put out the small flame Madame Morrible had started.

"_Aluz levelle."_

The candle lit up. The look on Galinda's face was simply fantastic now. It was pure jealousy and longing. Elphaba even began moving her hands around the candle to make herself look even cooler. The small part of her mind that was still intact with sanity reminded her to focus oon the spell only, but she couldn't help but show off with Galinda right there.

"Elphie!"

"What the _fuck _do you want right now, Galinda Upland of the Upper Uplands? Don't you see I'm busy casting a spell?" In reality, she was only doing a simple charm, but she felt like annoying Galinda. It seemed to work.

"No, Elphie! Close your mouth! You need to wash it with soap now, Momsie and Popsicle said that the Cussy Monster will come for you!"

"Galinda, I've said this before. Your. Parents. Are. Not. Here. So you open that little pink mouth of yours and say whatever the hell you want."

By now, Galinda was standing with her eyes closed tightly, yelling "Lalalalala!" and with her hands clamped over her ears. Elphaba rolled her eyes.

A few minutes later, in which Elphaba had been turning the candle on and off, Galinda stopped and approached Elphaba.

"Elphie, how can you work with all these bubbles floating around?"

Elphaba took a deep breath. She didn't even need to check to know that there were no bubbles.

"Galinda, my sweet, there's no bubbles. That's only in your brain."

"It is not, Elphie Thropp!"

"Oh yes it is, so close your mouth and try to do something useful-"

"I am!"

"Well, it doesn't seem like it!"

Elphaba was suddenly glaring at Galinda again and she stood up. They were face to face again. Elphaba was breathing heavily, sure her face was dark green. Galinda glared back just as fiercely, but after a moment, she backed down, and stepped back. Elphaba held her gaze for one more moment and turned back to her candle. How could Galinda manage to go from angry to sweet and innocent in one moment? There was no explanation in Oz for that.

Elphaba worked on her candle for a minute or so, when she noticed Galinda still staring at her. Could the retarded girl not get a hint and leave? She needed to go now. Elphaba got just the idea and turned around, smiling cruelly at Galinda. Just as she was going to tell Galinda that there were bubbles in their dormitory, Galinda spoke up.

"Your skin is a really ugly color."

That made her lose all sane thought. What gave this stupid blonde princess the idea that she could go around and insult her for something out of her control? Elphaba stood up again, fury etched on her features, and she fought to keep from ripping Galinda's head off.

"Well, at least my brain isn't fried."

The comment got a gasp from Galinda who turned completely red.

"How dare you stoop so low?" she snapped, stepping forward with those white pretty shoes of hers. For a moment, they were jeweled and gleaming, but with a blink, they were small white heels again.

"Excuse me? How dare _I _stoop so low? Maybe all those shocks to your already messed up brain really got to you!"

Galinda had turned completely white by now. She was shaking slightly, and this pleased Elphaba. That would teach her to quit making her annoying, useless comments.

"Be quiet."

Elphaba cackled loudly at this. Little Blonde Girl was telling her to be quiet? As if! Nobody told her what to do, and that was that. She did whatever she wanted!

"You be quiet, Galinda. You can't even turn off a light!"

Elphaba rolled her eyes as Galinda stormed away and picked up her wand. She saw only anger in Galinda's eyes as she pointed the wand directly at the small flame in the candle, and she yelled "_Aluz leVELLE!"_

Time stopped for a moment. The look on Galinda's face changed from anger to terror. Elphaba understood too late what was happening, she she wasn't prepared when the room was suddenly filled with a small tremor. A fraction of a second later, the world went completely white.

* * *

**Author's Note: I know! I left you with a cliffhanger! I'm so sorry! Please review to get the next chapter up quicker, because someone told me to not update so fast to get more reviews. But I feel sorta bad about leaving a cliffhanger. Either way, please review if you're reading! I feel like no one reads this, but maybe I'm just paranoid. xD As usual, ask about anything!**

**Extra Note: Fiyero doesn't have an exact characterization yet. He's sort of a jerk when he first went to Shiz. But he's not really... it's sorta hard to describe. xD So I tried to make him as normalish as possible without really characterizing him until Act II. Sort of. **


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Wicked. I probably won't ever, but I'll keep on dreaming!**

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Confusion. White. Weightlessness.

And then pain.

_Oh, so much pain._

Elphaba clearly saw everything go white, and a moment later, she was flying through the air. The shock of it made her mute and for that second when she flew, the only thing she could wish for was that it would never end. Stars flew through her vision, in beautiful colors and sparks of yellow appeared. It felt nice, but only for a moment. But of course, it came to an end much too quickly. Her body slam on the ground, and tumbled, until she was buried under a fallen bookshelf. The only thing she really noticed at that moment was the pain in her left ankle, pinned under a heavy book facing the wrong way, and something cutting through her left arm. She was only partially free from her right side where she tried to look around. _Damnit! _Elphaba thought angrily, feeling very stupid.

But her left side hurt too much. Elphaba whimpered as she tried to pull herself free, but she couldn't move. The whole entire classroom had been torn apart, and was half collapsed. She only wished someone would hurry up and come get her and make the pain _stop._

Suddenly, she remembered Galinda. Galinda had been the closest one to the explosion. Clearing her throat as well as she could, she called out "G-Galinda?"

There came no response. Frantically, Elphaba searched what she could see. About ten feet in front of her, lying on the ground face up, was Galinda, sprawled on the ground with her white uniform dusted in black. But she wasn't moving. Elphaba's panic increased.

"Galinda! Wake up! Someone help, please!"

At that moment, Fiyero and Madame Morrible burst in, much to Elphaba's relief. Normally, she was much too proud to beg for help, but Galinda had just _exploded _them both.

"Please! Madame, Fiyero, we got into a bit of an accident. My left ankle hurts too much and I can't move, could you-?"

But at that moment, Fiyero had rushed over to her and was pushing the bookshelf away from her. Elphaba let out another whimper when she saw her ankle pointing a way it wasn't supposed to. A second later, her arm was revealed, with a long, deep cut in it. Tears from pain were threatening to overflow, but she would not cry in front of _Fiyero. _She had too much pride to do that.

When she was free, Fiyero offered her his hand, but she turned away from it. "Thank you," she muttered. "But I can walk." The moment she stood up, her knees collapsed.

"Yes, I see you can walk."

Elphaba groaned in defeat as Fiyero lifted her up into his arms, and she glared around. She spotted Madame Morrible tapping Galinda's cheek.

"Is she okay?" Elphaba asked, trying to ignore her throbbing ankle. It hurt like _hell. _

"She's beginning to stir... Galinda? Listen Galinda, can you hear me?" Madame Morrible kept on tapping Galinda's cheek, until her stupid blonde roommate lifted her head and shoved herself into a sitting position. Elphaba felt a rush of relief.

"Master Fiyero, please take Miss Elphaba to the hospital, and take Galinda with you. I need to check for anything else that might detonate..."

Fiyero nodded, and Elphaba wished to be able to walk. Nothing embarrassed her more than having Fiyero carrying her. Galinda followed them, stumbling and looking extremely guilty.

"Elphie! Oh, Elphie, I'm so, _so _sorry! I was mad, but that's no excuse! I ended up blowing the whole classroom up, after all! I just wanted to extinguish the flame, with the spell Madame Morrible told me to say, but I must've done something-"

"Galinda," Elphaba interrupted, wanting nothing more than a cure for her foot. "It wasn't your fault. It was mine."

"You didn't blow us up! You didn't make a comment about your skin!"

"Well, I _did _make an inexcusable comment about the elctrocshock-"

"What?" Fiyero suddenly interrupted, and Elphaba cringed inwardly. Who was she to talk about things that weren't her business anyway? Besides, she didn't feel like thinking, her ankle hurt too much.

"Nothing," she snapped at Fiyero. "The point _is, _Galinda, that it wasn't your fault. It could've been me that blew us up. Now, I'm not saying that you're not an idiot, but accidents happen."

But Galinda wouldn't hear it. She jogged to keep up with Fiyero who was walking rather fast. For the first time, Elphaba noticed a trickle of blood on Galinda's temple. They both shouldn't be arguing anyway, and she knew it, because that was what had blown them up in the first place.

"Elphie, it's so strange I just... I just said _aluz leve-"_

"Shut up, Galinda! Don't say spells lightly! What if you blow us up again? Never mind, just come on, we need the nurse to check you out."

"What?" both Galinda and Fiyero said, staring at her.

"Oh, and me too, whatever," she muttered, watching the blood on her arm seep out. Galinda was still following them, and Fiyero held Elphaba as if she were nothing. But Elphaba was still embarrassed. Although she wasn't fat, she still weighed quite a bit, being so tall and muscular. Galinda, who was absolutely tiny with no muscle, must've weighed nothing.

When they finally got to that hellish hospital, they went to the emergency room, which was thankfully empty. Fiyero set Elphaba down on a chair, and Galinda sat next to her, staring at the blood on her arm and her swollen ankle. Her chin began quivering, and Elphaba groaned, before wrapping her arms around her stupid blonde roommate.

"Galinda, I'm not mad at you. You said the fire starting spell instead of the one that was supposed to put it out."

"Don't comfort me!" came Galinda's muffled voice from Elphaba's shoulder. "I just did the spell Madame Morrible told me and I blew you up!"

Elphaba let go of Galinda, and saw no tears, but a white face. She sighed, and tried to ignore her foot.

"If she told you the fire starting spell, then it wasn't your fault. Now hush, and wait for them to fix us and then we can leave."

At that moment, Nurse Jenny came up to them, with a wheelchair. Fiyero stood beside her, looking worriedly at Elphaba.

"Mister Fiyero, you may go now and please inform Madame Morrible that we have Miss Elphaba and Miss Galinda."

Fiyero looked like he wanted to protest, but nodded. He met eyes with Elphaba for one more moment, before turning around. Galinda stuttered "Fiye..." before falling silent and looking down. Elphaba simply didn't know what to say.

Elphaba stood up with the support of Galinda and sat on the stupid chair, feeling quite, well, stupid. Nurse Jenny began wheeling her to the doctor's office where she would be checked, and Galinda followed them, worriedly glancing down at Elphaba. Elphaba scowled. She wanted no pity.

"Doctor Twik will arrive momentarily, Misses Elphaba and Galinda," she said, smiling at them before closing the door. Elphaba tried to stand up, but fell back into her chair. Her ankle was now turning a purple color. And for her green skin to actually turn purple, it had to be very bad.

"I'm sorry, Elphie," Galinda whispered, staring at her ankle. Elphaba quickly wheeled herself into another position to block her ankle from Galinda. But the chair would not cooperate. Now she knew how useless Nessarose must feel all the time.

"Galinda, I told you, I'm fine. What about you? What exactly happened to you? I just saw white and then I felt like I was flying... and then I was under that bookcase."

"I... don't really know what happened, Elphie. You saw me. I felt the blast hit me, something flew and I felt something hurting in my head. Then, I don't know. Madame Morrible was there patting my cheek."

"Are you-?"

But suddenly, Elphaba was interrupted by the door opening, and she could only assume it was Doctor Twik. Her insides clenched at the idea of making a single sound of pain in front of Galinda. It was partially her pride at never showing anything other than sarcasm in front of Galinda, but it was also the idea of making Galinda, who was already looking extremely pale, feel worse.

"Miss Elphaba Thropp and Miss Galinda Upland?" They both nodded awkwardly.

"I hear you had a little accident in the sorcery room. Now, I must say that your arm and ankle look extremely banged up, Miss Elphaba. What happened exactly?"

Elphaba and Galinda exchanged glances, while Doctor Twik began prodding at Elphaba's ankle. She hissed in pain, but quickly began talking so she wouldn't remember the throbbing.

"Galinda said a spell rather forcefully, and then it caused a sort of explosion. It all seemed to be white for a moment and then I was pinned under a bookshelf. My left side was all under it. Galinda also was thrown back, but she was hit in the head only."

Doctor Twik nodded, and pushed his glasses up his nose. Elphaba looked over at Galinda who was only turning whiter by the moment, and realized that she probably shouldn't be there, watching.

"You know, Galinda, maybe you should go see a doctor by yourself. I'm sure you-"

"Save it, Elphie. This was my fault. And I don't need a doctor."

Doctor Twik's worried frown at Galinda seemed to say otherwise, but he didn't say anything. Instead, he pressed a button that called for stupid Nurse Jenny, who entered a moment later, looking ready to work.

"Nurse, please take Miss Elphaba to room number twenty-two. It's the only empty room, currently. She will need to spend the night, and perhaps tomorrow night to be able to fix her ankle properly and prevent infections from spreading in her bloodstream. Miss Galinda, please go on with the nurse and Miss Elphaba, and I will meet you two there in a moment."

Elphaba immediately groaned. Now she had to miss a day of classes? Ridiculous. They couldn't stop her. She'd go in the wheelchair if she needed to, Nessarose could manage it.

"Are you okay? I'm sorry, Elphie!" Galinda said, looking down at Elphaba.

"It was an annoyance groan, Galinda. I'm okay. It's just, I'll be missing a whole day of classes!"

Galinda shot the floor a dirty look, and Elphaba rolled her eyes.

"It's all right, Misses," Nurse Jenny cut in. "We'll be sure to excuse you and get your schoolwork Miss Elphaba. As for you, Miss Galinda, you seem all right, but we're still having a check up on you."

Galinda muttered something unintelligible, and Elphaba simply waited. When they finally arrived at room twenty-two, Elphaba was horrified to discover it looked like a hospital room; with white sheets and bright white lights and all. And her bed had a remote control and it was simply _wrong. _Why did she have to land herself in these stupid situations?

Nurse Jenny helped Elphaba to the bathroom and handed her a white hospital gown. Grudgingly, Elphaba took it and wheeled herself out when she was done. White clashed horribly with her. Nurse Jenny helped her onto the bed and Galinda watched quietly from a corner.

She began to notice that her left arm really was bleeding a lot, and she pressed her frock against it. A second later, Doctor Twik burst in, and began washing his hands and putting on gloves to clean her arm and bandage it, and then to set her stupid foot. She glared the whole time at him.

The cleaning itself didn't hurt much, but when he wrapped her arm in gauze, the scratchy material _did _hurt against her cut. She pretended to ignore it, but it wasn't quite easy. She nearly did start crying when he told her he was going to set her foot, however. The idea of receiving physical pain frightened her more than the pain itself, strangely enough. And although no one in the room cried, Elphaba did scream when her foot got set. She also nearly slapped Nurse Jenny, but the nurse seemed to learn that she wasn't a little angel and stood just out of her reach.

"Well, Elphaba, I must admit you didn't cause as much commotion as some others. You were brave. Now, you'll need to rest here, with no getting up at all. Also, try not to move your left arm, please. Now, Galinda..."

But Galinda walked straight to Elphaba, and looked over her. "I'm so sorry, Elphie," she whispered yet again.

"Galinda, it could've been me. I'm fine though, see me? Are you okay?"

"Don't ask me if _I'm _okay Elphie, just don't. I was being mean. I'm sorry for acting so rude and teasing you for being, well, green."

"I told you to stop, Galinda. I was being rude too, you know. I teased you for electro-"

"_Still, _Elphie!"

Elphaba took a deep breath. Galinda wasn't normal. She needed to keep her patience and not slap her stupid blonde roommate who she both hated and loved, depending on the situation. Right now, she sort of hated Galinda, but not because of the accident. Elphaba truly didn't blame her for the accident. No, she was mad because her stupid blonde roommate was reusing to accept it and get over it.

"Galinda?"

Elphaba looked up to see Doctor Twik looking at Galinda with concern on his features. Elphaba herself snapped her eyes over to Galinda. Galinda blinked quickly and swayed. Her lips were also white by now. "I..." But she couldn't finish, because she fell to the ground and probably would have cracked her head open had Doctor Twik not been there to catch her in his arms.

* * *

**Author's Note: Hi! So, how are you guys? If anyone actually reads this story, and is actually bothering with reading my stupid notes, then thank you! May the Unnamed God shower you with goodness! Just kidding. xD Please review and tell me how this chapter was! I think it was awkward and weird, but I'm a special girl with a unique way of writing. xD Nope, that's not a good thing. Anyway, as usual, any comments/questions/compliments/flames/constructive criticism/notes on what you had for dinner, just say it! Please!**


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Wicked.**

* * *

"Galinda!" Elphaba yelled, immediately trying to get up, but Nurse Jenny held her down quickly. But she needed to... to... to get Galinda and make sure she was all right. "I need... I need Galinda!" Elphaba screeched, ignoring her arm's protests of pain.

Doctor Twik gently lowered Galinda to the ground, where he began tapping her cheek. When she didn't open her eyes, he made a hand signal, and Nurse Jenny took some smelling salts out of the drawer, then handed it to the doctor. Elphaba watched as closely as she could without falling off her bed.

Doctor Twik uncorked them and waved them under Galinda's nose. Her nose wrinkled, and then her eyes fluttered open. Immediately, she seemed to comprehend what had happened and tried to sit up but Doctor Twik held her down. What was it with these stupid hospital people holding patients down?

"Lie down, Galinda. We don't want you to faint again. Nurse Jenny, do me a favor and get the other bed ready for Galinda..."

Elphaba realized that Galinda would have to spend the night after all. Hospital roomies. Big whoop. She tried to not groan as Doctor Twik put a cool cloth over Galinda's forehead.

"Why'd she pass out?" Elphaba asked, staring down at Galinda who had closed her eyes and was breathing deeply. But at her comment, one of Galinda's gray eyes snapped open to glare at Elphaba.

"Don't make fun of me, Elphie. My head hurts."

"I wasn't asking _you, _Galinda, because you're obviously not feeling well. So shut up, and let them fix you."

"My head hurts."

Elphaba gave up completely, and watched Nurse Jenny instead, as she rolled the covers of Galinda's bed down and took out a hospital gown. The hospital gown was huge. Elphaba smirked as she imagined Galinda in the thing. What would she say? _"Oh, that's not popular! Fiyero's never going to marry me if he sees me in that thing!"_

Doctor Twik carried Galinda to her bed, where she tried to stand up, but was held down. Elphaba couldn't help but feel a rush of pride at Galinda. The stupid blonde girl was finally learning to resist.

"I'm changing by myself. Please go outside," Galinda said stiffly, and Doctor Twik stepped outside with Nurse Jenny and closed the door. Elphaba watched Galinda simply.

"Close your eyes, Elphie, and don't you dare peek."

Smiling, Elphaba closed her eyes until Galinda grudgingly admitted she was done. When she opened her eyes, she had to turn away to hide her laughter. Galinda looked like the was wearing bed sheets. She would need to take a picture. And date it.

Doctor Twik entered a moment later and walked over to Galinda, who was trying to keep her expression as empty as she could. But when she saw Doctor Twik walking over to her, she leaned away instinctively, and whimpered. "Please no more electricity."

"Don't worry Galinda, no electricity today. But we do need to check you out. We need to find out why you fainted and make sure that your head wound stops bleeding."

Galinda nervously looked over at Elphaba who nodded encouragingly. True, if she received shocks from doctors, she wasn't sure she would be comfortable with letting them touch her, but Galinda _was_ bleeding. Besides, as much as her ankle hurt, Doctor Twik had been surprisingly gentle.

A few minutes later, Doctor Twik decided Galinda had a moderate concussion. He gave them both medicine for the pain, and they sat there, on their beds with a lot of pillows, staring blankly ahead.

"Hospital roomies! Elphie, we're hospital roomies! You because of your arm and foot and me because of my head! I don't know why I'm here, though, my head always feels like this. Only right now it also feels sleepy and heavy. But I don't wanna sleep. I want my bunny! And Fiyero! Elphie, I want-"

"Shut up, Galinda."

Elphaba had no doubt that Doctor Twik had given something to them both that made them feel high. Actually, she herself felt a bit giddy, but she knew she just needed to sleep it off before she began giggling like Galinda.

"Hey, there's a lot of bubbles! Isn't there, Elphie?"

Elphaba realized, with horror, that she _did _see bubbles. She squeezed her eyes shut tightly, trying to block out the image. But she still felt a light, floating sensation.

"Elphie, we-Fiyero! Dearest! You came to visit us!"

Elphaba immediately opened her eyes, and through her bubble filled vision, she saw Fiyero indeed, standing at the door, looking directly at her. She almost giggled, but reminded herself that she was under medicine that was supposed to make her feel like this.

"Elphaba. Galinda. I just wanted to see what happened. Someone told me Elphaba had to have her foot set and Galinda passed out...?"

"I'm fine though, Fiyero. Oh, you brought me my bunny! Thank you!" Fiyero handed her her bunny and she hugged it tightly. Elphaba rolled her eyes and she glared at Fiyero.

"Why were you in our room?"

"Galinda gave me her keys earlier. I knew she needed her bunny..."

Elphaba scowled at the ground. The bubbles were only getting a lot bigger and more colorful. She really did feel tired. Bloody medicine.

Without warning, Galinda fell against her pillows, completely asleep. Elphaba laughed softly, watching Galinda unconsciously hug her bunny. She was such a little girl. Her hair framed her face and she looked about ten years old. Fiyero awkwardly watched, as if unsure of what to make of the situation.

"Should I be worried...?"

"If it were someone else, yes. But this is Galinda. Besides, they gave us this medicine that's making _me _see bubbles."

Fiyero nodded, still looking slightly disturbed. He approached her and at last, she couldn't control the effects of the medicine. Elphaba began giggling madly and she buried her face in her pillows, trying to stifle her laughter. But it only came on more.

"Uh... Elphaba? Should I get the doctor?" he asked, backing towards the door with a completely surprised expression. Elphaba managed to shake her head.

"I... Medicine... Sorry," she explained as well as she could through gasps for air. "But thank you for carrying me here. It felt nice." Elphaba felt a stupid, dreamy smile on her face, but she felt far too gone and happy to care.

"Well, I'm glad I was able to help you. You look tired, though, so I think I'll just go-"

"Nodunleave!" she slurred, to her horror. But Fiyero just waved and walked out. Elphaba felt like crying, inexplicably. She really wanted to cry. But instead, Elphaba tried to move and a flare of pain shot through her leg, causing her to yelp. It was a loud yelp, too. Her brain told her to shut up and go to sleep. Galinda didn't even stir, which showed her how powerful this medicine was. Elphaba could only assume she would crash soon enough. Galinda, being so tiny, had not needed quite much time, but she was much taller.

Nurse Jenny burst in, looking alarmed. "Miss Elphaba? Is everything all right? Are you in pain?"

"Yes!" Elphaba slurred. "But it don't matter. Fiyero left. He gone. Oh, I'd tired. I'm. Whatever."

Nurse Jenny blinked, and quietly backed out of the room. Elphaba was about to scream again, but suddenly, the medicine felt overpowering as she, too fell against her pillows, completely dead to the world.

* * *

The first thing Elphaba felt was a cool cloth on her head. Confused, she tried remembering what had happened. She and Galinda had gone to the sorcery seminar... and then the explosion... pain... hospital... the feeling of being high... Fiyero...

"She's awake," she heard a female voice say, and Elphaba blinked sleepily. She saw a woman who looked very much like Galinda but with blue eyes smiling down at her. Elphaba frowned in confusion.

"I'm Galinda's mother. I take it you're Elphaba?"

Elphaba tried to nod, but her head weighed about twenty tons. Mrs. Upland seemed to understand, however, because she smiled kindly.

"Galinda writes about you a lot in her notes. We-my husband and I-have heard wonderful things about you. We wanted to thank you for taking care of out little Lindie."

Elphaba sat up, and the cloth fell off her head. She groaned as she supported herself up; her left arm felt like a line of fire was running through it. Thankfully, Mrs. Upland put a few pillows behind Elphaba so she could sit comfortably.

The room was dark, with the only light being the one in the hall. The clock read three... but did that mean morning or afternoon?

"It's three in the afternoon, dear. The medicine the doctors gave you and Lindie was very strong. She's still asleep."

Elphaba realized that she had just missed a day of classes, and groaned internally. She looked over to her left, where Galinda lay on her bed, still clutching that wretched rabbit, and a man who she didn't know was stroking her hair. Upon seeing that she was looking at him, he met her eyes, and Elphaba quickly lowered her gaze, blushing.

"It's good to meet you, Miss Elphaba. We were getting worried; neither of you were waking up. I imagine our little Lindie will wake up soon. We came when we heard you both got into a sort of accident. Could you explain, please?"

Elphaba nodded, and cleared her dry throat. "It's a pleasure to meet both of you, Mrs. and Mr. Upland. We had sorcery class, and Galinda said a spell a bit... powerfully. The room blew up completely." Elphaba didn't miss the looks Mr. and Mrs. Upland gave each other. They looked worried.

"She didn't do it on purpose. I could've done the same thing. Well, the room blew up as I was trying to walk over to her and get the wand out of her hand, because I knew she was a bit agitated. As I did, the explosion occurred, and we were both thrown back. Thankfully, I only hurt my left arm and leg, which got pinned under a bookshelf. I was trying to get out, to find Galinda. Galinda wasn't buried under anything, but she was unconscious on the ground, so she couldn't help me either. Then, Madame Morrible and a schoolmate came..."

Elphaba suddenly trailed off, remembering what she had said to Fiyero. Oh, would she never learn? She had made a fool of herself. Damn that medicine! She felt her face flushing.

"Are you all right, dear?" asked Mrs. Upland, looking at her. Elphaba simply nodded and continued explaining. "My schoolmate carried me here, and Madame Morrible woke Galinda up and sent her here too. We were tended to and Galinda was about to go back to the dorm, but she fainted. She's fine now, though," she assured them as they looked at Galinda suddenly.

"She just has a moderate concussion. But she's being cared for and so am I."

At that moment, Galinda stirred, and giggled sleepily. She then proceeded to sitting up, and Mr. Upland put some pillows on her back too. Elphaba couldn't help but notice how small Galinda looked.

"Oh... Popsicle! Momsie! You came!" Her face broke into a smile and Mr. Upland hugged her.

"Elphie, this is Momsie and Popsicle."

"I know, Galinda. Nice of you to wake up. We were worrying them."

"Oh, sorry Momsie and Popsicle. They gave us something sweet. And then I felt sleepy. And then I don't remember. Anyway, that's Elphie! My friend, the one who helps me with math. I got a C last week!"

Mr. Upland nodded, looking impressed. He then walked over to the door, and said "I'll be going to the cafeteria. Is there anything you girls would like?"

Elphaba felt a bit bad taking their food, but Galinda really was rich. Galinda herself even told her to choose the most expensive things whenever they went shoppinig. Elphaba, of course, had no patience with it, but Galinda chose her clothing for her anyway. She and Galinda met eyes for one moment and laughed. "No meat!" they called in unison. Mr. Upland rolled his eyes and left.

"So, Elphaba and Galinda, how has Shiz been? How do you like the hospital?"

"It's very good," Elphaba said quickly. "They actually can set your bones, I didn't know." She looked over to see Galinda's answer.

"The only other times I've been here before is for the electricity. That hurts afterwards, but it's fun right now! Me and Elphie are roomies again!"

She began giggling, and hugged her rabbit tighter. Elphaba bit her lip and turned away.

"So, my little Lindie, how have you been? Have you had any risky behavior? You know the psychologist said to control yourself."

"I do control myself, Momsie! Ask Elphie!"

Elphaba had actually been hoping to stay out of this conversation. Awkwardly, she turned over to Mrs. Upland. She didn't know how to express her opinion without appearing rude. "Mrs. Upland," she began. "Galinda's been very sweet and very _happy. _I must admit I do wonder why she needs to have electroconvulsive therapy? It only seems to give her headaches."

Mrs. Upland pursed her lips and turned away. Elphaba knew she had no say in it, but she really didn't believe in shocking things. Those crazy methods weren't always safe, and Galinda's headaches couldn't be anything good. At that moment, however, Mr. Upland chose to enter wheeling in a whole cart. Elphaba's jaw dropped open. She knew Galinda was rich, but this?

"Don't want to make you girls stand up, but do you think you could eat at your table?" The table was only at the other side of the room, so Elphaba nodded. Mrs. Upland helped her onto the wheelchair, and she cleverly avoided looking at her ankle.

Mr. Upland held Galinda's arm, as she stumbled. Galinda's balance had never been great, and now with a concussion, Mr. Upland was pretty much carrying her as she squealed with delight. "The world is spinning! It looks so pretty and colorful!"

Elphaba sighed as she looked at all the food on the trolley. Mr. Upland himself put plates in front of them both and began piling it with salads. Elphaba noted how he only put fruit in Galinda's plate. Had her stupid blonde roommate told her parents _everything _about her? Including the fact that she didn't like fruit?

"And strawberry shake for my Lindie, and mint shake for Elphaba."

Yep, she'd definitely told them everything. Including the fact that she didn't like fruit and enjoyed mint. Well, how nice. She thanked him and began shoveling food in. After all, she had been asleep for almost a whole day. Galinda, too, was obviously starving. Well, maybe she wouldn't be starving so if she had better eating habits.

"Mr. Upland," Elphaba began. "I've noticed Galinda's eating habits are quite strange," She ignored Galinda's adorable sad face. "She went a day without eating once, and the next day she sat in bed eating cookies all day. Perhaps someone should manage her food."

Mr. Upland sighed, and ran his fingers through Galinda's hair, which was beginning to curl. "Oh, Lindie. Actually, Elphaba, would you be interested in managing Galinda's student card? I couldn't help but notice that Galinda bought twenty-seven stuffed rabbits the other day..."

Elphaba choked on her lettuce, and reached for her shake. The cool liquid soothed her aching throat, and she had to struggle to breathe again. Mrs. Upland was patting her back quickly, and Elphaba was sure her face was dark green. After she finally got her facilities back, she stared at Galinda, who was cleverly avoiding everyone's gazes.

"Galinda? _Twenty-seven _stuffed rabbits? Oh, Ga-_linda. _Yes, Mr. Upland, I'll manage her student card."

Several minutes later, both Elphaba and Galinda were back in bed. Mr. Upland had said he needed to leave now, because of his meetings he needed to attend to, but he would leave Mrs. Upland behind for one more day, until they were both free. Galinda had begged Popsicle to stay, but he left, after Momsie pried Galinda's fingers away from Popsicle's leg, where she had been sitting. To Elphaba, it had actually been quite an amusing sight.

Now Nurse Jenny appeared, smiling at both girls. Galinda offered a big smile, while Elphaba moodily glared at Nurse Jenny. She wrote down what they had eaten, and checked Elphaba's arm and ankle. Her arm was healing and not infected, thank goodness, but her ankle was still hurt. However, she was promised that it, too, would soon heal.

Galinda's concussion would apparently go away by itself. Elphaba rolled her eyes when she heard, because she _knew _that. But Galinda simply stared blankly, before announcing that her head hurt. Elphaba chucked a pillow at Galinda, who tried to throw it back, but with her coordination, threw it about six feet away from Elphaba. Elphaba snickered loudly.

That night, Galinda went to sleep early, while Elphaba sat, reading a book quietly. Mrs. Upland had gone to her hotel, and would come back tomorrow in the morning to help them get back to the dorm. Then she would leave. It was only seven, but Galinda apparently really was tired, because she managed to trip on her way to the bathroom.

Elphaba was very interested in her book until she saw someone standing next to her. She jumped violently, and saw that it was only Fiyero. She clutched her heart, breathing deeply. Once she was calm, she hit him as hard as she could with her book.

"What was that for?" he asked, but he still had a smile on his face. Elphaba glared at him, and hit him again. "You think it's just... okay to appear out of the blue and startle someone at a hospital? Think again, Brainless Boy! What are you doing here?"

"I came to visit you..." he began, looking into her eyes, until Elphaba sighed, and jabbed her fingers at Galinda's sleeping form, where she lay, clutching her bunny. "And Galinda," he added, unconvincingly.

"Well, as you can see, she's asleep so you can go jump right off the nearest cliff-"

"But you're awake."

"And?"

"I came here to visit both of you," he pointed out, pulling up a chair next to her. Elphaba felt her nostrils flare and she hurled her book at the stupid Winkie Prince's head. Fortunately, it hit spot on, and he glared at her, while picking up her book and handing it back to her.

"You can act however you want, but I did carry you here."

"I didn't ask you to! I would've happily crawled over here-"

"Because you were in such great shape to do so-"

"And then it would've been fine!" she finished, ignoring his interjections and they glared at each other for a moment, before Fiyero sighed, and crossed his legs.

"Look, Elphaba, I'm just saying I want to be friends. Wouldn't it be good to be friends with my girlfriend's best friend?"

"No, because you hardly ever pay any attention to your girlfriend!"

"I pay plenty of attention to my girlfriend, thank you very much-"

"Oh, yes, you pay so much attention. You haven't even inquired as to her health!"

She breathed heavily, thoroughly annoyed at this Winkie Prince. Why was she wasting her time and energy talking to someone useless?

"You don't ever let anyone else talk. So close your mouth and let me talk. I care about Galinda. I love her."

Elphaba snorted, but didn't make a comment. She adjusted herself so that she could look at him calmly. Without her glasses, it was slightly blurry, but she could see well enough. Enough to see that he was a liar. He didn't love Galinda. He was just a stupid player probably dating every girl on campus.

"Well, because you care so much, she's recovering from her concussion. We'll be leaving tomorrow, back to out dorm."

"And you?"

"And me?"

"How are you?"

Elphaba threw her book at him again. Maybe that would teach him to remember who he was dating and stay that way.

"Well, obviously you hit your head too, because you're being rather rude." he snapped at her, picking up the book again but not giving it to her. She glared at him.

"I'm not being rude, I'm helping you get the picture. You and Galinda are dating. She thinks you two are going to be married. I'm not here to rule you or anything, but I _am _watching over her. I actually care about her. So you better shape up and start showing the same devotion."

He looked completely stunned. "She thinks we're getting married?" he asked, eyes wide as they both glanced over at Galinda. She still lay on her side, clutching her bunny and sucking her thumb.

"Yes she does, so it's _your _job to make sure she understands that you don't love her. And don't go around flirting with other girls while you're dating her."

"But..." he still seemed surprised. Elphaba truly believed he had no brain. He never showed signs of using it, if he did. "But she's twenty! She's an adult, technically-"

"You and I both know her mentality depends on her mood! She's seventeen, not twenty."

Fiyero looked like he was going to respond, but at that moment, Nurse Jenny walked in with an apologetic look. "I'm sorry, but visiting time is over. You can visit your girlfriend tomorrow, when she's released."

Fiyero nodded, not correcting her, so Elphaba took it upon herself to correct Nurse Jenny. "Galinda. Galinda's his girlfriend."

Nurse Jenny frowned, but shrugged, leading Fiyero away. Then, Elphaba's door was closed, and she punched her pillow. A moment later, she hissed in pain; she'd used her scratched arm.

* * *

**Author's Note: Talk about plotless! Horrendible plot so far, I know, but I need to slowly start making everyone make sense. Then we'll hop into the action. Anyway, thanks to: Maeline, Guest, Bubble, James Birdsong, GotAChocChip, thewhiphand5, musicalvampirelove, mysterywriter94, and MommyMoni215 for all reviewing thus far! It takes a lot of patience to put up with a plotless story like this one! As I always say, reviews are love and they encourage me to write! xMegxGiryx**

**By the way, Elphie is supposed to be OOC for ALL of this chapter. **


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

**Disclaimer: D: Nuuu, I don't own Wicked.**

**Author's Note: I need help with girl and guy names for my story! Not very good at coming up with Ozian names. xD And is anyone here going to audition for Wicked on the 24th? If so, good luck! Please tell me if you are!**

* * *

Nessarose and Boq sat at the library. From their place, they could see Elphaba trying to teach Galinda how to tell the difference between a six and a nine. From what Nessarose could tell, it was not going well, because Galinda hurled her pink pencil at the bookshelf. Elphaba then buried her head in her arms and Galinda began giggling.

Nessarose also watched Boq out of the corner of her eye. He was staring at Galinda with his mouth hanging wide open. And he had been doing so for the past ten minutes. Self consciously, Nessarose looked at Galinda and then at herself. A blonde, perfect girl with pretty legs, and a useless cripple. No comparison at all.

Boq had congratulated her for winning Mizz Shiz, and yet, she couldn't help but notice the way he had looked at the ground when he had. She had heard several people whisper that it should have been Galinda who won. Secretly, she agreed but still, she wished she hadn't heard. It could not be clearer: Nessarose Thropp would never be as amazing as Galinda Upland. But maybe, if she could walk, if _only_ she could walk...

"Nessie!" Galinda giggled, crawling over to Nessarose and Boq. Elphaba watched Galinda from their own table, and pointed at Galinda, giving an exasperated look at Nessarose. Galinda was now in the fetal position, her whole body shaking with laughter. Elphaba began rubbing her temples.

"Shhh... Galinda, you need to quiet down a little. We're at the library," Nessarose whispered, and Boq just stared at Galinda with his mouth wide open. Sighing, Nessarose stretched her hand out to Galinda to help her stand up, but Galinda just yanked her hand, making her tumble off her wheelchair and onto the ground.

Elphaba was there in an instant. "Galinda!" she hissed. "Control yourself!" She picked up Nessarose and set her back on her chair, and a moment later also picked up Galinda and set her on the couch, next to Boq. Boq looked like he might faint.

"She's very happy," Nessarose said awkwardly, feeling her heart sink as Boq slowly poked one of Galinda's curls and looked at his hand as if it were the best thing ever. He never touched _her_ hair. Well, of course, she didn't have golden blonde corkscrew curls, she had straight caramel hair. But it was still okay hair, she thought.

"Excuse her, I think the explosion caused permanent brain damage. Not that she was any different when I first met her," Elphaba said with a sigh. She was now almost completely healed, and very grateful for it, too, Nessarose could tell.

Galinda, who was still giggling, turned over and almost fell off the couch. However, Boq caught her in time and he gazed at her in awe as she giggled and smiled at him, sitting up straight. "Thanks, Biq!" she said, tossing her hair.

The look on Boq's face was obvious. He looked completely in love. Nessarose recognized the same look on her own face when she thought about Boq. She knew she was being completely stupid, but... Boq and her. They deserved each other. Well, that wasn't completely true. He deserved a girl who was perfect in every way, just like him. And maybe, just maybe, it would be enough if she could walk.

Now, she was beginning to feel _really _foolish. The idea of Boq holding her and admitting that they deserved each other was almost too much. She wanted it. She wanted it now.

"Galinda!" Elphaba snapped, also snapping her out of her daydream. "Might I tell you that your sixes still look like nines?"

"Oh, you're right Elphie," Galinda said, standing up. "See you later Biq and Nessie!" With that, they hopped off once more to study.

"It's Boq," Boq said sadly, gazing after Galinda, and Nessarose looked down, feeling uncomfortable and strangely annoyed at Galinda for being so lovable. At this thought, however, she quickly slapped herself mentally her mind. Jealousy wasn't good. And Galinda had helped her get Boq. Only... Boq seemed to fall for Galinda in the progress.

"She's perfect. Her hair, her eyes, she's perfect, her..." he trailed off when he saw her stiffen. "Oh, Nessa, I don't mean anything by that. Forgive me. You're perfect too."

Nessarose nodded, grateful that he was lying to her for her sake. Before, she would probably have the strength to wheel herself away and tell him to go get Galinda. But she couldn't do that anymore. Times had changed. She was ignored far too often, overshadowed just a touch too much, and she wanted someone to love her. Really love her. Not to care for her out of obligation, or love her because she reminded someone of a certain Melena Thropp, but to truly love _her. _

She loved Boq.

And Boq should love her.

Once she was perfect, they would both deserve each other. Once she could walk they could both dance together, without her chair. Without a care.

Her. Him. And it worked, too.

Nessarose Thropp couldn't help it. She was completely in love with Boq.

* * *

Galinda Upland was completely in love with Fiyero.

And that worried Elphaba. Her stupid blonde roommate needed to grow up, and understand that Fiyero didn't like her back with the same devotion that she loved him. Elphaba had heard Galinda muttering "I do. I love you too, Fiyero, dearest," in her sleep, and this was really beginning to bother her.

Although Elphaba hated Galinda sometimes, with all her might, she also felt like Galinda's big sister, and protector. Galinda reminded Elphaba of a stupider and slightly more giggly Nessarose. They both had the same childlike quality underneath. Maybe that was why Nessarose and Galinda were such good friends, too.

But Elphaba was not going to leave them alone for one moment together in a situation that required rational thinking. Nessarose was smart academically; very smart, but she had very little common sense. Well, that wasn't quite the problem. Nessarose had common sense, but she looked through rose tinted glasses. She hardly ever believed anyone was trying to be rude honestly. And Galinda was just plain stupid. She was a complete idiot. And because of this, they wouldn't know if someone was trying to take advantage. If someone were to offer them both drugged candy, Galinda would immediately take it and ask for more, and while Nessarose wouldn't take it immediately, she would feel guilty if they pressed and eventually take it.

So Galinda was in love with Fiyero. And Nessarose was in love with Boq. But Boq loved Galinda, and Fiyero... Well, she wasn't sure who Fiyero loved, but it definitely wasn't Galinda.

In her annoyance, she didn't even notice it began raining. She groaned and tried to move out of the way but it still landed on her. Well, it didn't matter. She would have to change once she got back anyway. It wasn't like she could sleep in a wet uniform.

Glumly, she began walking back to her dorm, but on her way, she almost ran into Madame Morrible.

"Miss Elphaba, there you are!"

Elphaba looked up in surprise, and forced a smile on her face. What else could she do? Talk about the whole he-loves-her-but-she-loves-him dilemma?

"Madame Morrible..." Elphaba began awkwardly, unsure of what to say, exactly.

"Oh, Miss Elphaba, I finally heard back from the Wizard!"

Elphaba's day turned completely around. The Wizard? Did this mean that she could finally make good? Just her and the Wizard, with the whole crowd cheering for her, and Father smiling at her and clapping with Nessarose standing up and beaming at her... oh, she wanted it.

"The Wizard? H-he asked for me?" That was impossible. Out of all the people, why would the Wizard ask for her? There were better candidates to meet him.

"Yes! I know how devastated you were the other day for our poor Doctor Dillamond, but I can assure you my dear, as one door closes, another one opens."

Madame Morrible pushed a green envelope into her hands, and Elphaba nearly squealed with joy. Finally!

"Madame, I don't know what to say! How can I ever thank you?"

Elphaba threw her arms around Madame Morrible, feeling truly happy. She hadn't felt this way in a long time, and now she could finally be admired!

"Oh careful dear, you mustn't get wet. Oh, I know!" In a quick moment, Madame Morrible whirled her arms around, and the clouds disappeared, to be replaced with the sun. Honestly, Elphaba preferred the rain over the sun, but she was still surprised.

"Didn't I tell you? Weather is my specialty. Oz-speed, my dear! Make me proud."

Speechless, Elphaba nodded quickly, eager to please as Madame Morrible left. Suddenly, she was enjoying the sun, warm on her face. "I will, I'll try."

Her vision from earlier returned. Only this time, the Wizard was on her right side, while Fiyero stood to her left, clapping for her. And Galinda was nowhere in sight.

"Snap out of it, you fool!" she scolded herself. "Focus on the good. And there, we'll finally be... the Wizard and I!"

* * *

As predicted, Galinda flew around the room with joy when Elphaba told her about her meeting the Wizard. "Elphie's going to be famous!" she squealed as she ran into a wall. "Ow," she muttered a moment later, before heading to the kitchen to bang her head on some pans, probably.

"Galinda," Elphaba interrupted, as best as she could. "Just because I'm meeting the Wizard doesn't mean I'm going to be famous." Actually, she wanted very much to be famous, but she would admit that to Galinda when monkeys flew. "You saw Nessa," she added. "She's Mizz Shiz and hardly anyone knows who she is."

"But Elphie," Galinda whined, entering the room with a red bump on her forehead. "Mizz Shiz is only Mizz Shiz. I mean, it's good of course, and I sort of wanted it but Nessie deserved it and stuff, but you're meeting the _Wizard. _The Wizard, Elphie! You're going to meet the Wizard-"

"Yes, Galinda! I know. Please don't start repeating things over and over, like "My head hurts". I know I'm going to see the Wizard. So please just shut your mouth and go read a book."

"But Elphie! My head hurts when I read a book!"

"Your head always hurts, Galinda."

Galinda sat down on the floor and opened her mouth to scream. Elphaba instinctively put her hands over her ears and counted her standard seventy-nine seconds. Perfect timing. That way, she wouldn't lose her ability to hear for a whole day again.

"Miss Elphie Thropp, bake me some cookies please!"

"Bake them yourself, Miss Galinda Upland of the Upper Uplands. Frottica. Whatever."

As soon as she said this, however, she realized this was not an option. Galinda burned herself when she tried to bake. Not only that but she also dumped the flour over Elphaba once in an attempt to make her skin a normal color. As a result, Elphaba had dumped the cookie dough on Galinda's head. But Galinda hadn't even gotten annoyed. She just squealed and began licking her own skin until she bit into her arm a bit too hard and began "crying" quite loudly. As usual, there were no tears. Since Elphaba had ignored her, this had been followed by a "fainting spell" (and Galinda fell with perfectly pointed toes in a manner where she didn't get her dress wrinkled or hurt herself) when Elphaba had completely lost her patience and locked her stupid blonde roommate out of the dorm for a few hours. When she let Galinda back in, she had been sitting in the exact same position Elphaba had left her when she had locked her outside, still licking her wrist.

"Strawberry cookies, Elphie!"

"Absolutely not, Galinda. Since I'm in charge of your money, I chose vanilla cookie dough." she sighed, as she stood up and took out the dough and ingredients. She had barely begun mixing the dough and preheating the oven when the doorbell rang.

"If that's Shannee and Phen-phen, I swear I'm going to stick my-"

"No need to freak out, Elphie. Or use bad words. _Pf_annee and _Sh_en-_sh_en aren't here. I don't talk to them a lot anymore. It's... Oh, it's Nessie and Fiyero!"

Elphaba frowned immediately. Why was Fiyero with her little sister?

"Nessa, what are you doing with Brainless Boy?" she demanded, snatching the handles of Nessarose's wheelchair from Fiyero's grasp. He ignored her death glares, and Nessarose blushed apologetically.

"I was at the library, and I got stuck at the door. Fiyero helped me and he said he was on his way here, and so was I. So we came together."

Elphaba studied Nessarose's expression, and decided it was the truth. Fiyero simply stared at her and she glared at him.

"Well, we were baking _cookies. _Would you care to help us?" she asked nastily, wheeling Nessarose next to the bed where Galinda sat doing some strange contortions.

"I bake very well, actually," he shot back, much to her surprise. But he could not beat her there. She had been baking her whole life for Nessarose. She turned to look at Galinda and Nessarose who were now discussing hair tossing. Elphaba smirked as she saw Nessarose do a pitiful hair toss. Apparently she wasn't the only one who couldn't toss her hair like Miss Galinda Upland of the Upper Uplands.

But Fiyero was standing right next to her claiming that he could bake _better. _Ha. Right. As if.

"Galinda? Nessie? Would you guys mind judging our baking abilities?"

They stopped talking and looked at them with mischievous smiles.

"Of course!" Galinda squealed, clapping excitedly. "Elphie versus Fiyero; who can bakify the dough better!"

"Deal," they replied with equal ferocity and rushed to the kitchen.

* * *

"You're on my side!"

"You're just annoying."

Elphaba threw flour at Brainless Boy, simply because he was annoying her. And he was on her side of the kitchen!

* * *

"Hmm..."

Nessarose was slowly chewing on a vanilla cupcake complete with a butterfly on top of it, Elphaba's cupcake. She had just finished eating Fiyero's chocolate cupcake, which had had her silver slippers on the top. Elphaba had glared at the cupcake, looking as if she wanted to snatch those shoes out of the cupcake. Nessarose wished Elphaba wouldn't glare so much; she'd get lines on her skin.

"I... Galinda, you first?"

Galinda had gotten a vanilla cupcake with a pink tiara (strawberry flavored) from Elphaba and a chocolate cupcake with a heart on it from Fiyero. She bounced on her seat excitedly.

"Well, Elphie, you bake good and all, but Fiyero's had a heart! Thank you, dearest!" She clutched his hand, and Nessarose couldn't help but notice how he didn't seem to return the whole enthusiasm. She really hoped things were going well with them. Her mind was wandering, when she noticed everyone staring at her. She felt the heat rise to her face and she stuttered.

"Uhh... I think... They both tasted really good."

"Nessie!" Galinda whined, putting a pouting face. "You _need _to choose one! I did, so now you do."

"I, uh, choose, uh... Fiyero's," she said quickly. Elphaba's had been delicious, but Fiyero's had had a touch of extra sweetness to it. Her face turned even more red as she watched Elphaba's mouth drop open. The expression on her face was priceless. She opened and closed her mouth a few times, wordlessly.

"You, it, uh, what? You chose _his_? Last time I bake for you two," she snapped, ripping off her apron which was completely white with flour. With style, she threw it at Fiyero's feet and stalked off to the kitchen. Nessarose and Galinda just shared looks, while Fiyero stood there, dumbstruck. A moment later, Elphaba appeared, and she smashed one of the chocolate cupcakes in Fiyero's face.

"There! They all love your stupid chocolate cupcakes, so stuff your face with it!"

Fiyero stood there, stunned, before putting his hands in his apron pockets and throwing flour at her face. When they began to growl at each other, Galinda wisely wheeled Nessarose outside to the porch, where they both sat, waiting for Fiyero and Elphaba to come out. They could hear pots and pans flying through the air.

"That went well," Nessarose said, tucking her hair back behind her ear.

"Very well," Galinda responded, pulling on her straightened hair. Elphaba had said Galinda had the crazy idea that people liked straight hair over curly hair. Nessarose couldn't have disagreed more. Both she and Elphaba had always wanted curly hair, especially big, fat corkscrew curls that bounced, and Galinda just straightened them.

"So how is everything between you and Fiyero?" Nessarose asked.

"I don't know," Galinda responded, her lips pulling downwards at the corners. "He's changed. He's not perfect anymore." She sighed. "But he's perfect for me."

Nessarose wanted to admit that she felt the same way about Boq. Boq was completely perfect. Once she would walk, she and Boq would be perfect together, because they would finally deserve each other.

"How's everything with you and-?"

Galinda's question was interrupted with the door flying open and Elphaba storming outside, completely white with flour. She kept on walking furiously until she suddenly whirled around and walked back.

"This is _my _dorm, _you _get out!"

A moment later, Fiyero emerged, but not before shoving a pink heart shaped cookie in Ephaba's hands. He ran away, and Galinda was only left with her arm outstretched. She looked disturbed for a moment, until Elphaba broke the silence again.

"No manners at all! Stupid _pink _cookie. Ugh, strawberry icing. Take it, Galinda!"

She threw the cookie at Galinda, who caught it, but as she caught it, it broke through the middle. Galinda was left holding two half heart cookies. She looked at them blankly, until she handed one to Nessarose.

"Well, we can each eat half," she muttered, while Nessarose refrained from reminding Galinda that she didn't like strawberries."

* * *

**Author's Note: Will I ever learn to write with plot? xD Sorry for all these useless chapters, the story'll get somewhere soon. And then we can start with the real action. *evil grin* So, who would you cast as Elphie and Glinda for your production of Wicked? I like all the actresses, and a shorter Annaleigh Ashford would fit this Glinda very well. She really played her role in a childish way. Also, please help me with Ozian names! I really don't know how to make them up!**


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

**Disclaimer: Don't own Wicked, but I do own these gorgeous red ruby slippers that just arrived at my door! I now have the tights and shoes for my Nessarose costume for Halloween! *dies from excitement***

* * *

"All aboard!"

Elphaba's palms tingled in anticipation. In just two hours, _two _hours, she would be off to the Emerald City to meet the Wizard. With her battered suitcase in hand, she patiently waited. Boarding was beginning now, but with two free hours, she just stood next to Galinda who was brushing her hair, pulling off split ends, and saying everything that came to her mind.

"Remember, eye contact. And don't forget to tell him how wonderful he is, Wizards love that! And be yourself. Well, within reason."

Elphaba was about to snap a comment about how herself was better than a stupid blonde roommate, but at that moment both Nessarose and Boq decided to make an entrance. Elphaba quickly went to hug Nessarose, because she didn't know how long it would be until they saw each other again. Oh, how could she leave her beautiful butterfly all by herself?

"Elphaba, I'm so proud of you and I know father would be too! We're all proud, aren't we?" She turned to Boq, who was staring at Galinda. Elphaba rolled her eyes and kneeled down next to Nessarose, and held her hands.

"You'll be alright, won't you?" For some strange, unnamed reason, she had a dreary feeling at the pit of her stomach, but she still figured it was only nerves. Nessarose looked up at her with such warm brown eyes, and Elphaba hugged her. They held each other for a few moments, until Galinda interrupted.

"She'll be fine! Biq will take care of her, right?"

At that moment, Elphaba wanted very much to smack Galinda for interrupting her moment with her sister, but she didn't get a chance to do it. Boq interceded.

"I-it's Boq, and I can't... do this anymore."

With that, he turned around and left. Elphaba opened her mouth, perhaps to call back Boq, but closed it when she saw Nessarose's shattered expression. It was completely miserable, and Elphaba almost made up her mind right then to stay.

"Boq," Nessarose began, and Elphaba's heart broke at hearing her sweet little sister's voice crack and watching her chin tremble as her eyes welled up with tears.

"Nessa, maybe he's just not the right one. For you."

Elphaba glared at Galinda for a moment, as Nessarose wheeled herself away slightly. Tears were now freely streaming down her face. Her face was bright red and she looked longingly after Boq's presence.

"No. He's the one. It's me that's not right." she sniffed, trying to control her hyperventilating. "Elphaba, just go, I'll be fine." Nessarose broke her gaze with Elphaba and began wheeling herself away. She gave one last "Safe journey!" before she was gone completely.

"Nessa, wait!" Elphaba begged, turning to go after her little sister. But a cool hand grabbed her arm. It was Galinda. And as much as Elphaba wanted to hate Galinda, she couldn't hate her. Not right now. "Let her go. She'll have to manage without you. We all will." Galinda stuck her lower lip out.

"Please," Elphaba rolled her eyes. She didn't mean to roll her eyes so much, but Galinda just drove her to it. "You'll barely even notice I'm gone. Besides, you have Fiyero." Her stomach clenched at the though. "Where is he, anyway? Not that I expected him to say goodbye to me. We barely know each other."

She knew she was rambling, but she still wanted him to come see her off. Maybe admit that he, too, was proud of her meeting the Wizard. It was strange, but she wanted his approval. Galinda's perfume must be messing with her head again, she figured. And yet, she couldn't deny that tenderness he had, what they had shared with the Lion Cub.

"I don't know him either. He's distant, and moodified, and he's been thinking, which really worries me." Elphaba closed her eyes to keep them from rolling again. When Galinda was speaking what was honestly on her mind, without thinking it through first, she invented some very interesting words. Elphaba thought it was sort of cute that she had to make a conscious effort to speak normally, but it was still a bit creepy sometimes. "I never knew how much he cared about that old Goat. Oh, there he is!"

Elphaba's stomach did a complete flip. Fiyero was here. Fiyero had come!

"Fiyero, over here dearest!"

Galinda opened her arms widely and waited for Fiyero to hug her, but instead, he pushed past her, his gaze fixed on Elphaba only. She knew that she should have felt guilty, or bad for Galinda, but the only thing she could focus on was the way he gazed at her. And the flowers he handed her.

"Elphaba, I'm happy for you."

"Yes! We're both so happy," Galinda squealed, grabbing Fiyero's hand when he didn't grab hers. Elphaba noted the way Galinda's face dropped considerably as he completely ignored her.

"Uh, listen, I've been thinking-"

"Yes. I heard." she responded sarcastically. Although she felt strange around him at times, she also felt like... beating him up, or something of that sort. And the fact that he could bake better than she annoyed her.

"About that Lion Cub and everything. I think about that day a lot."

Sweet Oz, he thought about that day a lot too? "Really? So do I," she said honestly, because that day had been on her mind quite a bit. She was beginning to notice how much his eyes really did sparkle in the sun. Maybe she could-

"Me too!" Curse that blonde brat. "Poor Doctor Dillamond. It makes one want to, uh... take a stand! So I've been thinking of... uh... changing my name."

Elphaba snorted and tried to mask it by "coughing". Fiyero looked genuinely confused. Well, apparently you were either given beautiful eyes or intelligence, because Fiyero and Galinda both got the eyes, definitely.

"Your name?" Fiyero said slowly. Elphaba pressed her lips together tightly to keep from laughing. She wanted to hear this. It was going to be good, she could tell already.

"Well, yes! Since Doctor Dillamond had his own way of pronouncing my name, in... so-li-dar-ity (_Wonder how long it took her to say that word, _Elphaba thought) and to express my outrage, I will hence-forward be known no longer as... _Ga_-linda, with a Ga, but as simply... Glinda."

Then, her stupid blonde roommate straightened herself in her uniform and bowed. Elphaba and Fiyero exchanged awkward glances. Then, Elphaba broke into a terrible "coughing" fit, and she turned away so they wouldn't see the tears of laughter springing to her eyes. Could her stupid roommate be any stupider? Galinda to Glinda? Who the hell came up with a plan like that?

"Oh well, that's very admirable of you... Glinda."

Elphaba nearly broke through her now calm facial expression as she heard Fiyero congratulate stupid Galinda. Glinda. Whatever. Stupid Blonde Roommate always worked just fine.

"Elphaba, good luck."

Elphaba looked after him longingly. Something about him. He'd just come to see her off. That meant he cared, right? He wasn't quite so stuck up and stupid anymore. Well, he was stupid, but only academically. She was sure that if he tried, he could get somewhere. Galinda, Stupid Blonde Roommate was stupid academically, and socially. Oh, sure, she made friends easily, but no _real _friends. They would all abandon her once she did something idiotic, like walk into the way of a carriage.

"There, see?" Stupid Blonde Roommate said, pointing at Fiyero, while her face slid into a pout. Elphaba didn't know what she wanted to hear, but she would need to give it a shot anyway.

"Galinda-"

"It's Glinda now! Stupid idea, I don't even know what made me say it!" Galinda's-Glinda's-arms crossed unconsciously and she rubbed herself. Elphaba recognized that gesture on Nessarose. It was what she did when she was alone.

"It doesn't matter what your name is, everyone loves you!"

"I don't care! I want him. I don't even think he's perfect anymore and I still want him." Elphaba did feel sorry for Glinda, just a bit, but she still couldn't deny the fact that Glinda would get over it soon enough and Fiyero and her would be a happy couple again.

"This must be what other people feel like. How do they bear it?"

Elphaba gave a small laugh at Glinda's self-centeredness, and she hugged her. Glinda hugged her back, still with an adorable sad face, and Elphaba felt panic. Nessarose could take care of herself, up to a point, but who would comfort Glinda when she did something stupid? Elphaba knew perfectly well that Pfannee and Shen-shen would not be willing to spend all night with Glinda, tending to a scraped knee. It couldn't hurt much, but if Elphaba didn't spend all night sitting with Glinda, then Glinda would begin "crying" very loudly.

It wasn't just the little things, but the important things, too. Glinda would eat cookies all the time, because she didn't know the slightest thing about a kitchen. And her grades would drop again. Glinda did try; Elphaba had to admit that Glinda sometimes had astounding patience with the simplest problems. Elphaba never had any trouble with math, but when Glinda got stuck on the simplest of problems, she sat at it until she got it. Of course, she lost focus in a matter of seconds, but she kept trying.

"Come with me." Elphaba heard herself say. She didn't know what made her say it, but Glinda was so helpless and stupid without her.

"Where?" Glinda sniffed.

"To the Emerald City."

Elphaba pulled back and saw Glinda's gray eyes light up with excitement. Elphaba smiled at her, nodding.

"Really?"

Elphaba just grabbed her hand and they dashed to the ticket stand. There, they purchased another first class ticket, just like Elphaba's, in the same compartment. Then they dashed off back to their dorms where Glinda packed a suitcase surprisingly quickly, choosing green clothing so she wouldn't stand out. Elphaba, already dressed in a long frock, as usual, put on the hat Glinda had given her and she waited for Glinda to appear again. Once she appeared, she had a dark green dress, and her straight blonde hair flew out behind her as she dashed at Elphaba, clutching her suitcase.

"I'm ready, Elphie! Hurry up, hurry up, hurry up!"

Elphaba and Glinda joined hands, dashing as fast as they could back to the train station. Glinda had no muscle, but Elphaba had to admire Glinda's energy. It made up for lack of muscle. The girl, when excited, could definitely run a mile in under ten minutes.

They made it with a few minutes to spare. As they handed their tickets, they were led to the front compartment, where they both sat, facing each other excitedly. The train was designed with two sofa-length seats facing each other. Elphaba set her suitcase on the seat next to her, and Glinda did the same. Glinda also jumped up and down on her seat, squealing. Normally, Elphaba would have told her to shut up and take a sleeping pill, but she was excited too. She allowed herself a small smile as the train suddenly lurched.

The ride itself took two days and one night. It was fun, in a way, riding with Glinda, for her stupid blonde roommate had a way of just making everyone feel in a better mood. They ate breakfast together, Ozcakes, as the train rode along. However, around midday, Elphaba discovered that she was starting to get motion sickness. She put her head between her knees, hoping it would pass, but it wouldn't. Finally, she went to the bathroom to throw up. Glinda stood nervously, watching her.

"Elphie, should I...?"

"Do what, Galinda? Glinda, whatever. We can't do anything about it. Just go back and stay in the compartment. I'll just stay here until I puke my-"

"You aren't staying here by yourself, Elphie Thropp! You already throwed up everything. You can't throw up anymore. Let's go back."

Glinda stomped her foot and crossed her arms, looking like a little kid. Elphaba finally gave up, rinsed her mouth, and went back to the compartment with Glinda.

"By the way, it's 'threw up', not 'throwed up'," Elphaba smirked, glad that the nausea was starting to pass. Glinda pouted, and Elphaba patted her in the back.

"You know I don't speak like normal people, I have to think to do it!"

Elphaba nodded. "Yep, I know that, Glinda. Trust me, when you start saying moodified, and confusified and-"

"Don't mockif, uh, mock me."

They rode in silence for a while more, with Glinda still jumping up and down and Elphaba still feeling the slightest bit queasy. The trolley finally came around four in the afternoon, and Glinda was going to buy everything, when Elphaba snatched the card out of her hand.

"We'll just take two... uh... what were you going to get, Glinda?"

"Strawberry Ozcream!"

"Make that one," Elphaba quickly said, thinking about that hideous fruit.

"One strawberry and one mint, then!"

A few minutes later, they both sat licking their Ozcream. They sped past little houses and clumps of trees, occasionally stopping for a rest. When it was finally midnight, Glinda began nodding off against the window, but Elphaba knew she wouldn't be able to move her neck in the morning if she continued like that.

"Glinda," she said, tapping Glinda's knee. Glinda made an uninetlligible sound without opening her eyes. Sighing, Elphaba put Glinda's suitcase on her side of the seat, and laid Glinda across the seat, so she was in a comfortable position. Glinda didn't even say anything, she just turned over so that she was facing Elphaba and continued sleeping. Smiling, Elphaba threw her jacket over Glinda's bare legs so the chill wouldn't make her sick.

Elphaba herself couldn't sleep. She still felt slightly ill and every single bump made her stomach crawl to her throat. No, sleep was out of the question tonight. Besides, there was too much on her mind to _sleep. _

Nessarose. She had left Nessarose all alone and upset today. Yes, she would be back soon, but something still gnawed at her from inside. Her little Nessie, her Nessarose, loved Boq. _Really_ loved him. It wasn't a silly little crush. The intensity was very much frightening to Elphaba who didn't understand quite how Nessarose must feel with Boq.

Fiyero. Her feelings for him were still a mystery to her, but she still had the vague idea that she was attracted to him on some level. Not as attracted to him as Glinda was (Glinda absolutely loved him) but she couldn't deny that she had _some _feelings for him. At first, when he had barely arrived at Shiz, she had immediately marked him off as a shallow, popular kid. Sort of like Glinda (Galinda? Glinda had definitely changed too). Only he actually had brains, he just didn't use them, while Glinda wanted brains, but had none. Of course, she assumed they were perfect together to some point, both being incredibly stupid, but they were different now. Fiyero had shown her he cared by saving that little Lion Cub. And he had carried her when her ankle had been cracked, whether or not she had wanted it.

And Glinda. Glinda was perhaps one of the most difficult to describe. She was extremely stupid and tended to have self-centered comments, but she was so sweet and so innocent at times. When Elphaba had asked her if she had 'done it' with Fiyero, Glinda had stared at her, utterly confused, and Elphaba couldn't help but think that it was cute. Of course, if anyone else found out exactly how stupid and innocent Glinda was, they would take advantage of her. Just the other day, when Glinda was with Pfannee and Shen-shen, Elphaba had seen them walk into a store, and all emerge with bulging bags. When Elphaba asked, Glinda had said she had simply bought a few things for them. Later, Elphaba saw Pfannee and Shen-shen laughing as they called Glinda a "stupid bitch", both wearing pink diamond dresses. Elphaba, of course, had egged their dorm that night, but she still couldn't help but feel worried for Glinda.

A sudden jolt knocked her to the floor, and she cursed, checking to make sure that she hadn't hurt herself. She checked Glinda too, who was unharmed, but her jacket had fallen off. She threw it over Glinda and sat again. The rest of the night was long and increasingly cold. Glinda began shivering soon, and Elphaba couldn't think of what to do except hold her. Awkwardly, she moved to Glinda's seat, and lifted Glinda's upper body. Elphaba sat, and she hugged Glinda, who seemed to furrow against her for warmth. There she stayed for the rest of the night, until the morning, around nine, when Glinda finally woke up.

"Elphie?" she asked, confused. Elphaba looked down at Glinda in her arms and let go of her, going back to her own seat. Glinda sat up, her hair plastered on one side of her face. Elphaba could only imagine how she would look. She had long ago given up with the hat and stuffed it into her suitcase.

"It's morning now, my sweet. You were cold so I held you. Are you mad?"

Glinda scrunched her face up and began wailing loudly. Panicked, Elphaba checked to make sure the compartment door was closed. Glinda, like a baby, was sensitive when she woke up.

"What is it, Glinda? Do you feel sick? Did you get sick after all?"

"No," Glinda yelled. "You stopped holding me. I liked it when you were holding me!"

Elphaba immediately sat next to Glinda and held her. As usual, Glinda was not really crying, but just trying to get Elphaba to hold her. Elphaba was happy to oblige with this.

That day went by quickly. Time passed, Glinda jumped and Elphaba read. For five minutes, that is, until she had to stop for her head was spinning again. Elphaba was beginning to doze against Glinda's shoulder, when Glinda suddenly jumped up, leaving Elphaba to fall flat on her face on the seat.

"Well, gee, thanks. I let you sleep in my arms all night, and when _I'm _going to sleep you let me smack my face-"

"_Elphie! _We're here! We're at the _Emerald City!"_

Elphaba shot up immediately, trying to see the Emerald City. Sure enough, just ahead was the gleaming Emerald City. The city shimmered a magnificent green color and both of their jaws dropped open.

"Sweet Oz!"

"Holy Shiz!"

They scrambled to the door, pressing their faces against the cool window. At first, Elphaba shoved Glinda out of the way, who in turn tried climbing Elphaba to see the Emerald City. At the end, however, Elphaba ended up carrying Glinda so that they could both see the Emerald City. In a few moments, they were both hugging and jumping up and down.

"Oh, Elphie, we're here at last! It's all grand!"

"And it's all green!" Elphaba squealed, noticing that everything was completely green and no one would think she was weird!

When the train at last stopped, they both grabbed their suitcases and ran out. They were met by green fireworks in the sky. Glinda whimpered and clutched Elphaba. Normally, Elphaba would have pulled Glinda off, but Elphaba would be terrified of fireworks too if she got shocked.

"They won't zapify us, will they?"

"No, my sweet, they won't. They're just in the air but they won't do anything. Don't worry, I won't let the fireworks shock you."

Glinda looked up, her gray eyes large and childlike.

"Don't leave me, Elphie."

"I won't ever leave you, my sweet," Elphaba replied, kissing Glinda's head.

* * *

**Author's Note: Yep, this story is Fiyeraba, but what's a story without a little dose of Gelphie? xD If you don't like Gelphie, then it's okay, because you can also interperet (no idea how to spell that word) it as Gelphie friendship! Yay! So, please review! What Glinda do you think best fits the Glinda I'm describing? I'm thinking Annaleigh Ashford or Erin Mackey, and maybe a bit of Kendra Kassebaum. But I'm insane, so... xD Thanks for all the reviews!**


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Wicked.**

* * *

"There're buildings tall as Quoxwood trees!"

"Don't be ridiculous Elphie, we've seen Quoxwood trees, remember back at Shiz? The buildings can't-oh!"

Elphaba amusedly stared at Glinda as she closed her mouth after seeing quite a tall building. They had been running around the Emerald City for a while now, rested after the hotel stay. Now, they were invited to the Emerald City throne room itself, to meet the wonderful Wizard. At night, when they had checked in to the hotel, the attendants had been simply fantastic, saying they had been informed of the good people invited to see the Wizard. They had been a bit surprised to see two girls, but had welcomed Glinda nonetheless, bowing and blushing.

A few hours after they had arrived, they had been sent a letter from the Wizard himself, and Glinda had all but jumped off the balcony.

_Dear Miss Elphaba and Friend,_

_I have been informed that you have arrived to our humble Emerald City. We are delighted to have you here. We have included your free tickets to Wizomania: The Musical!, your complimentary lunch and dinner, and several other sites for you to enjoy. I look forward to meeting you both tomorrow._

_Best wishes,_

_The Wizard_

Originally, Elphaba had worried that her decision to bring Glinda would be troublesome, but she had been welcomed just as warmly as she.

"Oh, Elphie, look!" Glinda pointed at the passing shops where people waved at them. As they passed a bookstore, they were both handed green glasses. Glinda quickly put them on and looked around.

"It's green... er!"

Elphaba did the same and laughed. Actually, it sort of complimented the city anyway, She breathed in the deep scent of mint coming vaguely from a few trees, and closed her eyes. She could get used to this. Being treated normally... no one staring and pointing... being _liked_-

"Oh Elphie, you look positively emerald! Now come on, we'll be late for Wizomania!"

Elphaba grabbed Glinda's hand and they dashed off towards the Wizomania theatre. To their surprise, they were both ushered to the front row, and they settled down. The musical was sort of pointless with no plot, but entertaining, nonetheless.

As the musical went on, they were eventually asked to be on stage, and Glinda, predictably, ran around the stage touching several prop pieces and giggling. Elphaba just stood at the side awkwardly, while the emerald clad people encouraged her to the center stage. The audience suddenly fell quiet with a hush, and the spotlight went on her. Glinda squealed and sat next to Elphaba, on the ground. Elphaba looked down, unsure of what Glinda was doing.

One of the ensemble members handed them both a song called _For Good. _Elphaba flipped through it, not really able to read the lyrics in the dim light. And what would she do anyway, sing it? Ridiculous. She didn't sing in front of other people, even though she liked to.

"What does it say? I can't read it! Ear said people cave reason love? What?"

Elphaba wrinkled her nose at Glinda's poor interpretation and stuffed the song in her pocket.

"But, miss! We still need you to sing a song for us!"

Elphaba shook her head and pointed at Glinda. Glinda turned beet red, and for once, didn't take the opportunity to be the center of attention. She jumped off the stage and sat on the front row. Elphaba glared at Glinda from the stage. She hoped her glare said the message clearly: _I am going to kill you later, Galinda, Glinda, whatever, of the Upper Uplands._

It was still quiet, and she looked around. Did they really expect her to sing? "I..."

But the microphone was shoved into her hands. But she couldn't do it. Not now. It was too... sudden. Besides, little Nessie, her Nessarose, was the singer. Even though she didn't sing too loudly.

"I can't do this," Elphaba muttered, shoving the microphone away and charging out the door. She barely heard Glinda's high "Elphie, wait!"

Once she was safely outside, sitting at a cafe, she waited for Glinda to appear. Glinda ran quickly, searching the crowd, and she sighed with relief when she saw Elphaba.

"Oh, Elphie! Why'd you leave like that?"

"I don't sing, Galinda."

"Glinda!"

"Well, you're acting like a Galinda right now!"

Glinda fell silent at that and looked down. A moment later, she began sucking her thumb. It was a bad habit of Glinda's; Elphaba had seen her sleep while sucking her thumb and holding that wretched rabbit.

"I'm sorry, my sweet," Elphaba said very softly, feeling guilty. Why was she being such a bitch right now? It wasn't Glinda's fault. Even if she was stupid.

Glinda looked up, and continued sucking her thumb, watching with those eyes of hers. Elphaba looked away before she felt more guilt.

"Well, it's almost time to see the Wizard... come on!"

It worked like a charm. Glinda jumped up and they both ran to a carriage, asking to be escorted to the Emerald City palace. When they finally arrived at the gates, Glinda's jaw dropped. "We'll call this home, Elphie."

Elphaba laughed, and hugged her stupid blonde roommate. "And then, just like now we can say... 'We're just two friends.' Two good friends."

"Two _best _friends."

Elphaba felt oddly giddy that Glinda had finally said the word. Best friends. She had never had a best friend before. Nessarose was her sister, of course, and she loved her, but it felt nice to have a best friend who wasn't directly related to her. They smiled at each other until-

"The Wizard will see you now!"

Glinda screamed in excitement.

* * *

"I am Oz, the great and terrible! Who are you and why do you seek me?"

Glinda stood behind Elphaba, being the little coward that she was. Elphaba herself didn't feel all too brave either. There was a _thing _(that was definitely unusually and exceedingly peculiar and altogether quite impossible to describe, as Glinda put it) sort of like a large mechanical head with glowing eyes and all the creepy stuff.

"Say something!" Glinda whispered. Elphaba had half a mind to tell Glinda to say something herself. But Glinda would only get them both kicked out if she said something about bubbles. So, as dignified as she could, Elphaba stepped forward.

"Uh... Elphaba Thropp, your terribleness!" Elphaba stuttered, as Glinda threw in an awkward curtsy behind Elphaba. Elphaba then proceeded to nudge Glinda on her ribs, where Glinda hissed in pain and stuck her tongue out at Elphaba.

"Oh, is that you Elphaba? I didn't realize!"

The Wizard's voice had changed considerably and a moment later, he ungracefully climbed out of the head. Elphaba and Glinda exchanged confused glances and watched as a man on the older side, with white hair, came in front of them

"I hope I didn't startle you, it's so hard to make out people's faces all the way back there. So, let's see... which is which?"

The Wizard looked at them both, smiling widely. Glinda still stood behind Elphaba, and Elphaba tried to stay calm and collected, but her stomach felt like it had a butterfly inside. She tried to do a weak smile, but it came out as a grimace.

"Elphaba!" The Wizard grabbed Elphaba's hand and shook it merrily. He then turned to Glinda, still smiling. "And you must be..."

"Glinda!" Glinda said eagerly, stepping out from behind Elphaba. "The "Ga!" is silent."

The Wizard looked extremely confused, and Elphaba took that moment to nudge Glinda again. "That's for being an idiot," she hissed as Glinda frowned and stepped behind her again. But something seemed very strange about the throne room. Nervously, Elphaba stepped forward to the Oz head. She touched it hesitantly, while the Wizard chuckled.

**"**I know. It isn't much, is it? But people expect this sort of thing." _Yes, they do, _Elphaba thought, still confused as to what exactly was going on at the moment. "You have to give people what they want. The thing is, I hardly ever let people meet the real me, but this being special occasion."

Special occasion indeed. The Wizard was calling _her _a special occasion. She bowed before him, and said, "I'm so happy to meet you."

The Wizard laughed and hugged her. "Well, good! That's what I love best, making people happy!" He then launched himself into an explanation about how he always longed to be a father. Glinda stood behind her, watching with an amazed expression.

"Close your mouth or you'll catch a fly," she muttered. But then, who was she to judge? "You too, Elphie," Glinda whispered back. Elphaba was about to tell Glinda to shut up, but the Wizard didn't simply have all day to spend with a schoolgirl like her. She decided to get to the point.

"I'm here... uh, we're here to alert you that something bad is happening-"

"Please, I'm the Wizard of Oz. I already know why you've come..."

Glinda gripped Elphaba's arm, and they looked at each other, impressed. "Ooooh..."

"...Of course, you must prove yourself..."

Elphaba immediately tensed. What could she do for this wonderful Wizard? Absolutely nothing. Maybe she could demonstrate her knowledge in math...

"Of course," Glinda answered for her, before pushing her forward, and whispering in her ear, "Prove yourself, prove yourself!" The Little Coward could actually be alternated with Stupid Blonde Roommate.

**"**But how?" Elphaba asked, wondering what she could do to show she was worthy. Worthy to work alongside the amazing Wizard, the good, the one that all of Oz looked up to. And he would present her to the crowd and give her happiness. Oh, yes.

"Oh, I don't know. Perhaps something to show if you're adept enough... I know! Madame, the book!"

Elphaba turned, confused as to who the Wizard was talking about. Glinda suddenly gasped, and Elphaba peered in the darkness. A moment later, a Fish appeared, walking towards them holding a book. She didn't know who it was until Glinda whispered "Madame Morrible!"

"I believe you're well acquainted with my new Press Secretary."

Did that mean Madame Morrible was the new Press Secretary? As in, the Press Secretary for the wonderful Wizard? Was she hearing right? "Press Secretary?"

"Oh, yes dearies, I've risen up in the world. You'll find that the Wizard is a very generous man." Glinda and Elphaba squealed in anticipation. The things he could do for them! Grant Glinda brains and degreenify her. And fix little Nessie! Madame Morrible continued. "If you do something for him, he'll do much for you."

Well, she was definitely going to do something for him! So that he could notice her, and then, maybe admire her. "What do you want me to do?" she asked, ready to do the impossible for the Wizard. Then, he could raise her up in glory.

"Well, this is my monkey servant, Chistery." An adorable monkey ran towards them, nuzzling up against Elphaba. Glinda backed up nervously, but Elphaba rubbed Chistery. She loved animals and Animals alike.

"He looks so longingly at the birds every morning..."

Elphaba didn't know where the Wizard was going with this, but she smiled as Chistery ran around her. He tried to touch Glinda, but she stepped back, out of his reach, and Elphaba frowned at her. She didn't even notice Madame Morrible had begun speaking again.

"... so the Wizard was thinking, perhaps, a levitation spell."

Suddenly, Glinda gasped, and Elphaba feared she was going to mention something about bubbles or her head hurting, but she pointed at Madame Morrible. Elphaba curiously looked at Glinda to make sure she was all right. Because if Glinda made a comment on Madame Morrible's likeness to a fish, then-

**"**Is that the_ Grimmerie_?"

Elphaba gasped in sudden recognition. _Was _that the Grimmerie? But then, that would mean-

"Yes, the ancient book of spells and enchantments," Madame Morrible said, handing it to Elphaba who wasn't sure if she should take it. But Glinda stepped in for her, a sort of fascination in her large gray eyes. "Can I touch it?" she whispered, staring at the book intently. Curse the stupid girl.

"No!" Madame Morrible hissed at Glinda, which Elphaba was sort of surprised at but she figured Glinda had had it coming on. Ever since the accident, Madame Morrible had been even more irritable to Glinda, who insisted Madame Morrible had taught her how to start a flame instead of extinguishing it. Madame Morrible denied this, and Elphaba also thought it was unlikely, but then again, how would Glinda have learned the wrong spell anyway? Glinda had only ever learned one spell after all.

She shook the thought from her mind and took the Grimmerie. The book was heavy and worn, on the cover. But inside, Elphaba noticed, the pages were even worse. They were slightly ripped at places, and yellow, but this didn't affect much writing anyway. The writing...

"What funny writing..." Elphaba muttered, mostly to herself. The writing _was _strange. Definitely not normal writing, but she could still tell what it said, mostly...

"Well, it's a lost language. The lost language of spells."

"It's kind of a recipe book for change."

Elphaba looked up in surprise. She hadn't realized she had been talking loud enough for them to hear. With a quick glance at Glinda, she discovered Glinda was peering over her shoulder. But the expression on her face was simply hilarious. It was pure confusion. Elphaba guessed that if _she _could hardly read it, Glinda wouldn't even be able to see the stupid thing at all.

"Don't be discouraged if you can't decipher it, dearie. I, myself, can only read a spell or two, and that took years and years."

But Elphaba wasn't paying attention, not really. She was only looking at the strange writing... which she actually felt she could chant. Maybe if the Wizard saw her doing well and looking confident... She lowered herself down to the ground and used both of her hands, directing the magic to Chistery.

"_Ahven, tatey, aven tatey aven..."_

A small part of the brain could hear the Wizard and Madame Morrible speaking. "Oh, Chistery, what an experience you are about to have!" he said. Elphaba only hoped she did it right, and she wouldn't hurt Chistery, the poor little monkey. He continued speaking while Elphaba chanted quickly. "I know everyone deserves the chance to fly!" and Elphaba couldn't have agreed more. Everyone did deserve a chance to fly, with everyone looking at them in awe.

Her concentration was broken and her spelling faltered as Chistery suddenly fell to the floor, twitching. Then, he began screaming, a horrible sound that hurt Elphaba's ears. "What happened?" she asked, alarmed. Poor Chistery was hurting, no, no, no! "Is something wrong?" she begged, asking the Wizard with her eyes to make it stop.

"No, nothing wrong at all, dearie! You did marvelous, just a transition phase," Madame Morrible explained calmly while Chistery rolled around on the ground, still squealing from pain.

"No! Make it stop! It's hurting him," Elphaba yelled, as she ran to Chistery, unsure of what to do. How could she reverse the wretched spell? Why had she even cast it anyway, if she wasn't sure she could do it? Well, there was no time to beat herself up over it, she could do that later and also yell at Glinda for letting her do it. But right now, she needed to help Chistery.

An agonizing moment later, in which Elphaba tried to soothe Chistery, Chistery jumped up with wings that had just... sprouted from his back. He began running around the throne room, yet he still squealed in pain. It was strange; the transformation had ended and Chistery still felt pain.

"No!" Elphaba yelled. "Quick, how do I reverse it?"

"You can't!"

"What?"

"You can't! Spells are irreversible!" Madame Morrible turned to the Wizard while Elphaba simply stood there, in complete shock. "I knew she had the power, I told you!"

But that meant that this was planned. That Madame Morrible and the Wizard _wanted _to hurt poor Chistery. "You planned all this?" she asked, incredulously. She still couldn't believe it. The Wizard, who had taken her and Glinda in so kindly. And Madame Morrible, who took care of Nessarose and helped her. No. No. No.

"This is only the beginning! Look."

Elphaba turned to where the Wizard was pointing, and realized, with horror, that the other monkeys grew wings too and were running around madly, some flying and others nervously fluttering their wings. _But this wasn't supposed to happen! _Elphaba thought, her anger now beginning to arise. And those two _old _things, just standing there while the monkeys ran around wildly.

"Won't they make perfect spies?

"Spies!" Well, what else, now? Elphaba paced, trying to calm the monkeys.

"You're right, that's a harsh word. How about scouts? That's what they'll be really. They'll fly around Oz! Report any subversive Animal activity."

Oh.

Elphaba was beginning to understand now, vaguely. They didn't have an ounce of power, and that's why they needed her and Glinda to... Well, Glinda was useless, she didn't know why they had allowed _her. _

"You can't read this book at all, can you? That's why you need enemies, and cages, and spies. You have no real power."

The Wizard only confirmed it. "Exactly, that's why I need you. Don't you see? The world is your oyster, now! You have so many opportunities." He turned to Glinda who had only been standing there the whole time, looking confused. "You both do."

Well, Glinda, the little stuck-up traitor that she was, eagerly nodded, and bowed to the Wizard. What the hell did that little blonde ass think she was doing, siding with the ones who caused pain?

"Thank you, your Ozness!"

The idiotic Wizard seemed to like Glinda a whole lot more than Elphaba, she noted darkly. Well, who wouldn't like an overeager blonde retard? But still, the Wizard turned, smiling, to Elphaba who glared darkly at him.

"Since once I had my own day in the sky, I know everyone deserves the chance to-"

But Elphaba never gave him the chance to finish. He could go on and on forever about flying, but that didn't change the fact that what he did was inexcusable.

"No!" she yelled, taking the Grimmerie and running off. She heard Glinda the Retard call her, but she ignored the stupid blonde girl's calls. Well, she'd done it now. But she wasn't giving up, as she run up the stairs. Yes, the guards would come for her, but the only thing she needed was to get out, away, away from all this madness.

"Well," Elphaba muttered to herself. "Wish you could see me now, Father. You'd be so proud of me, huh?"

The shoes on her Nessie's feet suddenly appeared in her mind.

* * *

**Author's Note: I completely SUCK at dialogue scenes! It failed, I know, but I hoep Defying Gravity Comes out a lot better. Remember to please review and ask if anything is confusing! Also, please feel free to request one shots! **


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Wicked.**

* * *

Elphaba couldn't afford to be distracted by the idea of having those shoes on her feet. Nessie's shoes. Those gorgeous silver shoes who Father had given to the daughter he obviously loved the most. Well, it didn't matter, anyway. She didn't care if Father loved her. _And shut up, _she snapped at her protesting brain.

She truly had lost her mind, to be defying the Wizard, but she would not put up with any of that crap anymore. Whatever would happen now was entirely up to fate. And if she was meant to rot in a hole, then that would happen. But her hope now, her only hope, were that those stairs would never end, that she could keep running for now. She felt so _good, _running up.

"Elphie, wait! Where are you going?"

Ah, the blonde brat was following her. To convince her to stop and go down, back to those cruel monsters, no doubt. She nearly tripped as she realized she had reached the top. No more stairs. This was the end.

"Oh no. There are no more stairs! This might be the attic..." Elphaba looked around, trying to get through and away. Away from those troubles down there.

"Elphie, listen to me-"

"I have to barricade the door!" Elphaba had no time for trying to reason with someone retarded. But just as she did so, Glinda suddenly stomped her foot loudly.

"Elphaba, why couldn't you have stayed calm for once instead of flying off the handle?"

Hmm, _did_ she "fly off the handle"? Well, if she did, then it was not Glinda's concern. After all, Glinda had just _abandoned _her while she was trying to save the poor monkeys. It was not up to Stupid Blonde Roommate to decide who was calm and who wasn't. After all, Elphaba was completely positive that _she _didn't go around hurting herself by walking into walls.

"I hope you're happy! I hope you're happy now that you've hurt your cause forever. I hope you think you're clever," Glinda screeched in that high pitched annoying voice of hers. Elphaba would have stopped to cover her ears, but she was too busy coming up with an escape plan.

"Well, I hope _you're _happy. You can go stuff it, because all you care about it people liking you, you and only you!" Elphaba spat back. Why wasn't Glinda helping her? She was about to do something rash, perhaps slap Glinda and try to knock some sense into her, but at that moment, the air suddenly felt cold. She had felt that sensation only once before; when Morrible was making her voice project from the walls itself. She tensed, and from a dusty window, she could make out Madame Morrible standing at the balcony, addressing hundreds of the citizens of Oz below.

"Citizens of Oz, there is an enemy that must be found and captured! Believe nothing she says. She's pure evil. Responsible for the mutilation of these poor, innocent monkeys!" Beside her, she heard Glinda gasp. but Elphaba didn't care. Madame Morrible, with just a few words, had turned everyone against her. Everyone hated her. "Her green skin is but an outward manifestation of her twisted nature! This distortion... this repulsion... this... Wicked Witch!" Glinda whimpered, but Elphaba nudged her to make her shut up. She didn't need this right now. All of Oz... well, they certainly hated her now. Glinda looked into Elphaba's eyes, holding her hand to where Elphaba had nudged her.

They glared at each other for a moment, before Glinda's face softened. She reached out to Elphaba tentatively. "Elphie, listen to me," she whispered in Elphaba's ear. "Just... say you're sorry. Before it's too late."

Elphaba could do that, after all. She was breathing heavily, unsure of what to think. Glinda held her hand and looked at her with those big, pleading eyes. Begging her to stay. But if she stayed? She would be forced to make more spies. Hurt poor, innocent creatures. And all for the Wizard's power. No. She couldn't.

"I know," she whispered back. "But... I can't want this. Not anymore."

She did want it. Elphaba wanted it so bad that it almost hurt. But she _couldn't _want it. If she succumbed to this, then she would be no better than anyone else. And as rude and sarcastic as she might be (and even hostile at times), she knew she could defy the crowd. Whether it was in a good way or a bad way, she had always been able to do so. It was something rare that she prided herself in. Nessarose couldn't. And Glinda obviously couldn't. But she could. And she would do it. All by herself.

"Something's changed, Glinda. I'm not the same girl anymore. I know what's right and what isn't. So I just need to close my eyes... and leap. Like defying gravity."

But Glinda grabbed her hand and looked at her. Elphaba turned away; her will would crumble if she looked into those childish, innocent eyes.

"Elphie! Can't I make you understand, you're having delusions of grandeur!"

The room seemed to have a dreamlike quality to it. In the darkness, she could see soft mist swirling around the ground. It gave Elphaba a sense of peace, a sence of calm. An eternal moment of peace. And yet, it was broken just when the guards hammered against the door. Well, she had no time to waste now. She had to get wings for herself now, the only option possible. How else would she be able to get out of such a high place without flying?

"What are you doing? Stop it! That's what started all this in the first place, that hideotious levitation spell!"

Elphaba ignored Glinda's high pitched protests; if Glinda was just going to stand there and whine, she could also go jump off a cliff for all the help she was giving Elphaba.

"_Stop!"_

Elphaba suddenly stopped, surprised at Glinda's persistence. The guards continued hitting the door forcefully. And on her back there were no-

"Wings. Well, where are they? Maybe you aren't as powerful as you thought."

Elphaba's shoulders slumped down in defeat. Well, what could she do _now_? Without wings, her only other options would be to jump off and die, or face the guards and die, or join the Wizard and die in spirit. None of those options were something she called good.

"Sweet Oz!"

Surprised by Glinda's gasp, Elphaba looked over to where she was staring. There, floating, was a broomstick, quivering as if waiting to be held. She reached out, and when her hand made contact with the broom's cool, smooth surface, she felt a jolt of something pass through it. The broom was acknowledging it's rightful owner.

"Oh... I told you... Glinda, I did it!"

But the guards were still banging on the door. There was only one thing left, now.

"Quick, get on!" she said to Glinda, holding out the broom to her. Once she and Glinda left, they could be together, forever, just two best friends defying gravity and defeating the Wizard. She didn't expect it when Glinda stepped back and asked, "What?"

"Come with me," Elphaba said. She was trying to keep the quiver out of her voice. There was nothing to be afraid of after all. "Think of what we could do... together."

Out of all the adjectives she had been described as (disgusting, filthy, hideous), she had never been described as _limited. _Because even those who didn't know her and judged her, knew well enough that Elphaba Thropp succeeded in everything. Because she was...

"Unlimited. Glinda, together we're unlimited. Glinda, come on. Dreams the way we planned them. We could defy gravity together! Are you... coming?"

Elphaba already dreaded the answer. If Glinda said yes, then they could be free together. But if Glinda said no, then she was off by herself, into this vast, cruel world. And she didn't know if she could handle it.

"Elphie, you're trembling," Glinda whispered, wrapping a cloak around her. But as she did so, Elphaba looked into Glinda's eyes. All hope left her. Glinda wasn't coming.

"I hope you're happy, Elphie. My friend."

And at these words, some of her strength returned to her. As shallow as Glinda might be, she would still remain rooting for her, despite all the problems. And maybe someday, she would be able to return to Glinda and... and Fiyero. With one last nod, Elphaba ran off, and with her anger, the roof tore apart. Glinda watched in awe as Elphaba made a gateway to the sky. She was simply stood there, waving to Elphaba, but Elphaba shook her head.

"Go away, Glin-"

But it was too late. The guards burst in and grabbed Glinda, whose eyes widened in fright as she struggled. They would _not _treat her Little Coward that way.

"It's not her. She has nothing to do with. I'm the one you want. It's me." And to her surprise, laughter escaped her as she kicked off. It felt simply wonderful. She was rising up into the sky. Free at last! "It's me!"

And all of Oz was looking at her. The citizens stared at her in awe as she rose further. Even her vision seemed to clear up a little, because among all the people, she still saw a small blonde figure, clad in a yellow dress, looking straight up at her.

The Ozians, of course, began yelling that she was wicked. But Elphaba had her sight only on one person, who stood there, giving her a small smile. And through a sea of curses and insults yelled at her, she heard one "I hope you're happy!" An honest one. A true one. One powerful enough to cancel out all the other curses.

Just once voice.

Glinda's voice.

And it was enough.

* * *

The high was over. The sweet, free feeling she had felt when she had left. It was gone now. Elphaba was alone in the sky, without her Glinda. Or her little Nessie or Fiyero.

But inside her pocket, she could still feel the stiff paper. The sheet music both she and Glinda had received earlier. For Good.

* * *

Fiyero eagerly stood at the train station to pick up Elphaba and Glinda. They were supposed to arrive in just a few minutes, and he couldn't wait.

He had spent his time simply sleeping during class and daydreaming. He couldn't help but remember his times with Elphaba. The way she glared at him, and her sarcastic remarks. He missed her. Everything about her.

He did plan on breaking up with Glinda. She was such a sweet girl. And that was the problem. She was a girl and had absolutely no idea of anything. Glinda cared about dresses and bunnies, while Elphaba actually had will and worried about stuff of actual importance. He actually liked Glinda very much, but as his little sister. It was something completely different for what he felt for Elphaba.

A sudden horn brought him out of his thoughts. He watched as the same magnificent train that had taken Elphaba and Glinda arrived. Fiyero stood in anticipation, as the passengers began to come off. He was scanning, maybe for a hint of green or some blonde hair somewhere, but nothing. Passengers kept coming off, and he could have sword he heard a couple of them mutter about some wicked witch.

At long last, the last passenger came off. Judging by the size and blonde hair, Fiyero could only guess it was Glinda. Her hair was curled and she had deep shadows under her eyes. When she saw him, she dropped all of her luggage and ran to him, embracing him and not letting him breathe.

"Fiyero! I... Elphie... It... it was a fake!"

Confused, Fiyero held Glinda out in front of him, where she trembled slightly, gripping his arms. What could possibly have gotten Glinda so frightened? And where was Elphaba?

"Glinda, please, calm down. Where's Elphaba?"

"I... the Wizard, he's a fake! Elphie left, and she's not coming back."

Fiyero felt all the blood drain from his face. _What? _Elphaba wasn't coming back?

"What do you mean she's not coming back? Explain right now, Glinda!"

She managed to tell him the whole story right then and there, as they were alone at the train station now. As Fiyero heard it, panic grew in him. If the Wizard was a fake and he had turned all of Oz against Elphaba, then she would be dead in a matter of days.

"And you let her go?" he finally asked coldly, noticing that Glinda wasn't even crying, she just sat on the bench, hugging her knees. She looked helpless, but Fiyero wasn't in the mood for pity parties. This girl had just let Elphaba go off by herself. "I thought you were her friend."

Glinda met his eyes. "I _am _her friend."

"Don't say that. If you were really her friend, you would've stuck with her, _Galinda. _Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll be off. Someone needs to tell Nessarose and properly feel bad about it."

Without even looking back at her, he stood up and walked off.

* * *

Fiyero kept his eyes down as he told Nessarose the news of Elphaba. He heard a sniffle, and he looked up to see Nessarose wiping tears away on her long-sleeved blouse. Her face had turned completely red in a matter of seconds, and she was now trying to hide it from him. But Fiyero didn't want her to. Nessarose, after all, was showing a reasonable response to the problem, unlike Glinda who had just sat there doing absolutely nothing.

"I'm sorry," Nessarose muttered, rubbing her eyes. "You didn't need to see that. But Elphaba... I just can't believe the Wizard... she always wanted to meet the Wizard. The wonderful Wizard, she would call him. And he's just a _fake? _I can't believe it."

Fiyero looked down again. He hadn't wanted to tell Nessarose, but he figured it would be better if she heard the news from someone she knew rather than the Ozmopolitan. And quite frankly, his feelings towards Glinda were just complete anger. Besides, he owed it to Elphaba. The least he could do was tell Elphaba's sister as gently as he could.

"What _I _can't believe," he began, "is that Glinda just let Elphaba go off by herself. Elphaba was right. She's just a stuck up idiot."

Nessarose's eyes widened considerably, and Fiyero quickly closed his mouth. Nessarose was Glinda's friend, after all. That was when a thought suddenly occurred to him.

"Wait, Nessa, don't, didn't, you room with Madame Morrible?"

Nessarose nodded slowly.

"And she never tried to... hurt you, or anything? Who're you rooming with right now? After Elphaba left, it was announced that Miss Maywood was the new head. Are you rooming with her?"

"Yes," Nessarose responded, her voice still a bit choked up. "I _am_ rooming with Miss Maywood. As for Madame Morrible, I don't know. She was always so nice to me. I don't recall any time she ever wanted to... hurt me or anything."

Fiyero nodded, standing up. He had been sitting in the living room with Nessarose, with two cups of untouched tea. Nessarose had been surprised to see him at first, and a little confused, but after seeing the expression on his face she had let him in.

"Well, I better be off, Mizz Shiz. Please don't worry about Elphaba. She's strong. And smart. I'm sure this whole conflict will be settled soon."

She nodded, smiling a watery, kind one at him from her chair. At that moment, Fiyero realized how pretty Nessarose really was. Boq was always complaining about her, but Fiyero saw Nessarose as a quiet, sweet girl. And her eyes. They were exactly like Elphaba's beautiful eyes. He missed his Elphaba.

"And Fiyero? Thank you. I appreciate it. If you could... please... tell Boq I wanted to talk to him." Her expression was a bit wistful, and Fiyero could only feel sorry for the little high-school aged girl. It was obvious that she liked Boq very much, even though Boq liked Glinda. Well, he would have to tell Boq tonight; Glinda was a selfish idiot. He honestly thought Boq would do much better with a girl like Nessarose anyway.

With a sigh, he realized it wasn't Glinda he was mad at, not really.

"I will, Nessa. Have a good night," he muttered, letting himself out.

* * *

**Author's Note: Gasp! What was that? Maybe... a vague hint at a plot actually starting? xD I know, the story had been plotless so far, but maybe we're getting close to a plot. Yes, be shocked. xD Be very shocked. So, I need to know... do you guys prefer strawberry or mint chocolate chip ice cream? Yep, that right there was a hint at a future chapter. Please read and review!**

**If Elphie is completely OOC in the beginning, please forgive me... I do the best I can, but I feel I'm not very good at describing this particular part of the musical (A Sentimental Man-Thank Goodness).**

**Meg**

**P.S. Have you ever, after reading a fanfic, been all like "Hey, that author must be a sophisticated professional person!" and then when you read the author's note, you're like, "Uh, they're kinda a dork, actually?" xD**


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Wicked, but I'm in a good mood, so I'm not even going to grumble about it!**

* * *

Nessarose sat on her chair, looking out the window. Glaring was a more accurate word. Boq was now avoiding her at all costs and maddeningly chasing after Glinda. As if Glinda could give Boq anything that she couldn't! Well, Glinda could dance, yes, but Glinda didn't adore Boq the way she did. Nessarose would do anything for Boq at this point, and she only wished he would understand.

And Elphaba. Elphaba had just left her. _Left_ her! Like she was some twig to just kick away. Nessarose loved Elphaba very much, but she was now doubting Elphaba loved her at all. At first, Nessarose had guessed Elphaba had only done a one time thing. That she would be back quickly, and once again stand alongside the Wizard.

But Elphaba hadn't returned. One month, three months, six months, and now classes were just about finished. No sign from Elphaba, not a word, except for the Ozmopolitan which got delivered to her doorstep every day, saying nasty things about her sister, the Wicked Witch of the West. People were now glaring at Nessarose, and calling her a witch too even though she took no sorcery class. They said she had enchanted the judges to crown her Mizz Shiz. When she first heard, Nessarose had locked herself in the closest bathroom and cried. But eventually, the stares and nasty murmurs of "witch" became nothing. They could call her whatever they wanted. But she was not a witch. She was Nessarose Thropp.

Nessarose wheeled herself away from the window and into the hall. There, she spotted Miss Maywood shuffling with some papers. She was about to wheel herself back when Miss Maywood turned around to smile at her.

"Hi, Miss Nessarose. How is your day? What are your plans for the summer?"

For a moment, Nessarose considered the question. Well, Father was apparently very ill, according to his letters and the Ozmopolitan. She only guessed she would be returning to Munchkinland for the summer to take care of Father, and try to restore him to health. But the doctors were now saying they expected only one more month left of life. Nessarose wasn't sure what to think of this, but it couldn't possibly be true. Father had been fine at the beginning of the year.

"Well," she began, lowering her head, "Father's ill, I suppose I'll just go back to Munchkinland and... do something."

"Good luck, Miss Nessarose. How old are you now? I've heard your Father is very ill, and..."

It was obvious what she was implying. Nessarose was about to turn away and go back into her room, but the unexpected anger that had been bubbling up inside her rose to the surface.

"Oh?"

"You'd be a very young governor, Miss Nessarose. But I'm sure you'd do just fine."

Nessarose took a deep breath and looked down. Her temper had been very quick ever since... well, ever since Elphaba had left her. She had always left all the anger to Elphaba, and just had been a sweet, innocent girl herself, but now she was her own person.

"Yes, I feel I would do fine too," she said simply, rolling her wheelchair back into the room. Nessarose didn't even stop to notice the look on Miss Maywood's face. A face that obviously thought Nessarose was capable of doing... bad things, very bad things, so that she could be the Governor.

* * *

Glinda shoveled mint chocolate chip ice cream into her mouth as quickly as she could. Her first year at Shiz had come to an end and now she was living in the Emerald City as Glinda the Good. Fiyero had come with her too, after much begging on her part. He didn't appear to be happy, but maybe he could learn to love her in time. Just as she loved him.

Nessarose had moved on to become Governor of Munchkinland. Glinda had visited her just a week ago and honestly, Nessarose looked sort of depressed. Really depressed. She had accidentally (or so she claimed, but Glinda had seen the way Nessarose had blushed when she said it) sent Biq away that whole day, and it was such a _pity _that he wouldn't be able to see her. Glinda half suspected that Nessarose didn't want Biq to see her, but she wasn't completely sure.

And now Fiyero was refusing to spend time with her, which really made her feel... sad. And it made her feel stupid. Glinda really wished she was as smart as her Elphie, so that then Fiyero could like her. He probably liked smart girls.

And just last night...

* * *

_"You don't like sharing a room with me."_

_Glinda felt her lip tremble as she said so. It was true, she could tell. The Wizard had offered to give them each an individual room at the palace, but Glinda hadn't wanted to. She was scared to sleep by herself at night. Even though she and Fiyero slept in separate beds (and Fiyero had pushed his bed as far away as he could from hers), he still grumbled at night about it. But she didn't see why. He had to love her._

_"To tell you the truth, I don't, Glinda."_

_Glinda frowned at her hands on her lap. Why didn't he like her? She knew that she wasn't smart, but she liked to do fun things. She liked to have pillow fights and count bubbles. So why didn't Fiyero count bubbles with her?_

_"You don't like to count bubbles with me. Why not?" she asked nervously. But he simply chuckled._

_"Listen, Glinda, you're the only one that sees bubbles. I don't know why that is, maybe it's something wrong with you- I mean, maybe you just..."_

_But she understood. He thought she was crazy. But she wasn't. She truly wasn't! Lots of people called her crazy, including her parents (behind her back) and doctors, but the people she trusted and liked the most, which were Nessarose, Elphie, Biq (as a friend), and Fiyero had never called her that. But now Fiyero was saying it._

_"It's okay, Fiyero. I know what you mean."_

_She then went to the bathroom to change and lay in her frilly bed. She had another two bowls of mint chocolate chip ice cream and then tried to go to sleep. But she couldn't. Her head hurt, as usual, and she didn't feel like sleeping. For two hours, she tossed around, wishing someone would come comfort her, until Fiyero finally sat up._

_"Do you need a sleeping pill?"_

_Her face fell, as she had been hoping he would come hug her, maybe. But he just wanted to drug her. Like everyone else._

_"I'll stop."_

_She lay still for the rest of the night, and finally went to sleep. Just as she was finally falling asleep, a small part of her noticed that Fiyero was also lying unusually still._

* * *

"Miss Glinda? What are you doing?"

Glinda blinked out of her memory, and realized she was walking towards the kitchen. One of the maids, Millie, was standing there. Millie was older than Glinda's own seventeen years and very kind to her. She never called her stupid or laughed at her when she walked into walls.

"Oh... I was just getting more ice cream."

"Miss Glinda," Millie began gently, taking the empty bowl out of Glinda's hands. "You've eaten seven buckets of ice cream in the past week. And not to mention all those cookies and sweets. I know it's your comfort food, but it's not healthy."

Glinda's shoulders slumped. And her hair bounced slightly. She had stopped straightening her hair, lately. Many servants, and the Wizard himself, had said they loved her natural curls. Madame Morrible had glared at her and had patted her own fake hair.

"I know," Glinda said. "But Fiyero won't talk to me. And I just... I want more ice cream. Please. And put strawberry syrup on top of it please. Pink goes good with green."

Millie looked like she would protest for a moment, but she walked away. And Glinda went to sit on her bed. All she could do now was wait. Oz was beginning to learn of her, and they thought she was just as wonderful as the Wizard. And they loved it when she made public appearances with Madame Morrible. Even the Ozmopolitan magazine had begun to share the rumors that she and Fiyero were engaged. Fiyero knew nothing about the rumors, but she hoped they would turn real. After all, Oz knew of Fiyero as the handsome captain of the guard, and he would be simply perfect with lovely Glinda the Good, wouldn't he?

"Miss Glinda?"

Glinda turned to the door, where Millie stood, holding an ice cream cone with mint chocolate chip ice cream with a strawberry on top and strawberry syrup. She was about to say thank you, when Millie continued.

"The Wizard requested to speak to you, so I brought you the ice cream on a cone. He said you can go in, now."

Glinda nodded, and smiled at Millie, taking the cone in her hands and licking it quickly. It was good. And pink did go good with green. She dragged her feet in her tight pink dress and she eventually came to the throne room. Glinda took a deep breath before knocking with her free hand, still licking the ice cream.

"Enter," said the Wizard using his Wizard voice. Glinda made sure no one was around, before opening the door and quickly closing it behind her. The throne room was lit, and the Wizard sat on his throne, with Madame Morrible standing to his right. Glinda dutifully bowed, but fell over, and stood up, blushing. All while licking ice cream.

"Ozcream again?" Madame Morrible asked, smirking as she looked at Glinda's dress.

"No," Glinda answered. "They ran out of Ozcream. This is ice cream."

Madame Morrible rose her eyebrows, her smile widening, but she merely shrugged and turned away. Glinda stood there, just licking and watching the Wizard who was looking at her with a pitiful expression.

"Well, dear, we were wondering what you think about... marriage," the Wizard began, inspecting Glinda. Glinda simply stared back. Marriage? What? She was only seventeen. Of course, she had never told her age to the public, who thought her to be around twenty-five, although they admitted she looked around fourteen years old. But they just assumed the Wizard wouldn't have a high school aged girl working alongside him.

"I don't want to get married," Glinda muttered, looking down.

"Ah, but dearie, we were thinking... Fiyero." Madame Morrible said, putting on a creeperific smile as she saw Glinda immediately look up and her eyes widen with excitement.

"Fiyero? Really? Oh, could you really make him marry me, your Ozness? I would be ever so gratefulific!"

"Grateful, Glinda, you must remember to control your speech in public. And we've heard the rumors about you two being engaged, so we thought, 'Why not make it come true?' It'll be good for your image, and it'll make me seem more wonderful," the Wizard said, while Madame Morrible rolled her eyes.

"Oh, Sweet Oz!" Glinda squealed and jumped in place. She remembered to not run around the room, because she was now a public figure, and she needed to appear smart. But jumping in place was formal enough.

"Now, you must get your measurements for your wedding dress... I assume they've changed since we last took them," the Wizard said slowly, tracing her figure. But Glinda didn't understand exactly what this meant. She shrugged and nodded.

"You may go," the Wizard said, and Madame Morrible rolled her eyes. Glinda nodded, and finished her ice cream. As she skipped to her room, she paused at the kitchen to grab a dozen glazed donuts.

* * *

Elphaba sat down on a rock and cried quietly. She hated crying, but she wasn't in front of anyone (it wasn't like anyone was willing to house the Wicked Witch of the West). She had finally hit a dead end. Animals happily aided her in any way they could, but it just wasn't the same as human company. She missed everyone back at Shiz. Glinda, Boq, Nessarose, Fiyero. Fiyero. Oh, _Fiyero_.

Giving up seemed like a better idea with each passing day. She'd been on her own now for quite a bit, and she just wanted to give it up. To have someone tuck her into bed and be there for her. In general, she'd always had to take care of other people, but she was still taken care of occasionally. She remembered when Nessarose had let her climb in bed with her because she'd had a nightmare about Father beating her. Normally, it was Nessarose who had a nightmare, but Elphaba did have one once in a while. And she remembered when she had had a cold at Shiz and Glinda had brought her hot chocolate (it had the distinct taste of strawberries, but other than that, it had been surprisingly good). If she could relive that, for only one moment...

And Fiyero! She missed him, and all his brainlesness, and his _eyes! _All of him. The way he held her when they had rescued the Lion Cub. The way he carried her softly, as if to not cause her any pain on the way to the hospital. Just... everything.

But if she gave up, then no one would stand against the Wizard. And Animals would never have equal rights. She had to keep on going. If not for the Animals, then for everyone who was shunned in society because they were different. For little Nessie, ignored because she was in a wheelchair. For Glinda, getting shocked because of her stupidness.

She was at a dead end, for now. The best she could do was finally go home. Maybe Father could help her... Elphaba _had _heard about a Wicked Witch of the East or something of that sort, but she didn't understand who it was, exactly. But Father had been stripping the Munchkins from their rights, and she needed to change that. But first, maybe he could cook her a warm soup. It was a slim chance, but maybe he'd changed.

Elphaba picked up her sole bag containing her few things. In her spare time, she'd been looking at the sheet music for the song For Good, and had found it surprisingly pleasing. She had always been able to hear a melody simply by looking at the notes, and it filled her head with hope. And her heart.

* * *

**Author's Note: ARGH! I know, I jumped form POV like Glinda jumps. So, let's see... Glinda needs to stop eating so much sugary foods. So do I, actually. xD Nessie needs to sort of calm down. Elphie needs to stop and smell flowers. Fiyero needs to stop being mean to Glinda and hug her once in a while. And stop obsessing over Elphaba. And Biq, I mean, _Boq, _needs to accept Nessie and get the fact that Glinda loves Fiyero. But what the heck am I even talking about? xD Please read and review! It would make my day! Also, the song For Good wasn't just some extra scraps that ended up at Wizomania. I'll get into that later. Uh, way later. xD**

**Meg**


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Wicked.**

**Author's Note: (there'll be a longer one at the end) Try to pick up hints of forshadowing!**

* * *

Glinda paced her room nervously. Fiyero was out and their engagement announcement would be tomorrow. He didn't know it yet, of course, and she was worried to how he would react. He _would _want to marry her, right? She asked herself that question as she paced, stopping only to take a spoonful of ice cream. Glinda was now addicted to that ice cream and she ate it all the time. People told her not to, but it was just so sweet and sugary. Mint actually had a nice taste to it.

"Oh, Elphie, I wish you were here!" Glinda didn't know what emotion she was feeling, exactly, but she wanted to talk to Elphie and eat ice cream with her. Actually, the ice cream wasn't necessary. It only helped fill in Elphie's place in her heart. She only needed Elphie back, and Fiyero as her husband (and him actually loving her would help a lot). Maybe Fiyero didn't love her very much because she was stupid. That was Glinda's only logical conclusion as to why he wouldn't love her a lot.

The doors creaked as she walked and the sun was beginning to set. Glinda was in her pink silk pajamas, still with her hair in a ponytail from the day's events and with her makeup still on and the earrings. She didn't even notice she was sucking her thumb until she saw herself in the mirror. She quickly withdrew her thumb from her mouth and took another spoonful of ice cream. The Wizard had given her a list of things to remember to not do in public. Don't suck your thumb, don't run around, remember to think before you speak to prevent the invention of new words. The list was endless, but these were a few she remembered right off the bat.

The Wizard was actually a little nice to her. He always asked her if she was okay and happy. He seemed to truly care about her. And he let her do whatever she wanted, as long as she didn't tell anyone about him. And she didn't. She just stayed in the palace, ate ice cream, and wrote to Momsie and Popsicle who were very proud of her. She also made the occasional public appearance, dressed in an elegant dress and smiling at the public, who just loved her.

Glinda walked into a table, and stepped back, blinking herself out of her daze. The Wizard had also tried to help her read, but only Elphie could help her read. So that was out of the question. As she stepped back, her pajamas got tangled with the foot of her bed and she tumbled to the floor.

Glinda was about to stand up when she noticed her earring had fallen out on one ear. She frowned, and began tapping the floor around her in search of it. But she couldn't see it. Pouting, she looked around, until she saw it, the metallic part stuck in the socket to the wall. Glinda crawled over to it, and stretched her hand to pull on the delicate blue bead hanging from it. But it was _really _stuck inside. So she pulled harder, but it still wouldn't come out.

"Please come out," she whispered to it, thinking of how to get it out. At last, she just shrugged and took her thumb out of her mouth (which she'd begun sucking again without noticing it). With one swift motion, she stuck her finger in the socket, to unhook the earring, when she felt the electricity hit her.

Glinda didn't even have time to gasp in shock as it ran through her arm. Suddenly, the memory of the doctors frowning down at her filled her mind. Glinda just felt shock. She saw little yellow stars and she felt her body go limp and her head hit the carpet with a small thud. But she didn't really lose consciousness; it was just as if her whole body had decided to abandon her. Glinda lay on the ground, breathing deeply and unevenly, trying to not scream. It had felt simply _horrible _and her arm throbbed. She lay there on the ground, still in the position in which she had fallen, her whole body shaking.

Glinda squeezed her eyes shut willing her headache to go away. But it wasn't happening. And her armache wasn't going away either. Her lip trembled slightly as she clenched her teeth together to keep from sobbing. It still felt like the electricity was inside her. And Glinda didn't like electricity.

Slowly, the feeling seemed to be coming back to her arm. And it hurt more. With a whimper, she gave a look at her arm and noticed it was bright red, and completely hairless now. Her chin quivered as she lay back down on the ground, because she didn't want to move. She felt too weak to move.

And her head felt strange. True, she always had a dull, throbbing sensation in her head, but now it was worse. She slowly brought her cool, left hand up to her forehead and left it there for a moment, to soothe the pain. Her thoughts were a little fuzzy, too, but it was nearing night anyway. She was probably just tired. And her thoughts tended to jumble together on a regular basis. But the room wasn't supposed to be spinning, was it?

Glinda stood up, with her legs shaking, and she only made it to her bed before collapsing on it and falling into a deep, dreamless sleep, with her makeup still on and her hair still up.

* * *

"Boq..."

Nessarose tried to wheel herself to the stairs, but the door was too small for herself to go unattended. Her face crumpled and she wheeled herself instead back to her bed, where she could get on without anyone's help. In a few moments, she was lying face down on her bed, trying very hard to not cry. But a few tears still slid down her cheeks.

"Stupid," Nessarose breathed at herself. Why did she always cry? Some people never cried. Or at least, not often. Elphaba only cried once in a while, and that had to be because Father had been unusually stern with his whipping. And here she was, a little princess, still crying.

The truth was, Boq wasn't loving her yet. As much as she tried, he didn't love her. She did everything she could think of. She had even sunk so low as to disgrace the Thropp family name further. Father had never been a favorite governor, but people had approved of him, at least. And when they saw her, looking all sweet and young in her wheelchair, they immediately thought she would be even better. It also helped that she was Mizz Shiz. But once they heard she was the sister of the Wicked Witch of the West, they immediately became wary.

And Boq had been planning to continue at Shiz, but she didn't-_couldn't_- let him leave her. He was all she had left now. Yes, she was sixteen and old enough to take care of herself, but it wasn't just that. She was terrified of being by herself with no one to like _her. _

Initially, she had been thinking or refusing the title of Governor of Munchkinland, but then it struck her that she could change the rules and make Boq stay with her. Immediately, she accepted and tried to invite Boq to come back with her to Munchkinland. When he refused, she ordered him. And of course, he couldn't disobey a direct order from "Madame Governor" herself.

But it hadn't made him love her. And now she didn't know what to do. She's heard people begin to call her the Wicked Witch of the East. But she wouldn't accept the fact, because she was Nessarose Thropp, not the Wicked Witch of the East. And no matter what anyone said, she would always be Nessarose.

But everyone was gone now, and Boq wasn't even happy. And this confused her. She wanted him to be happy, but happy with _her. _So that they could be together forever, because they deserved each other, even though she couldn't walk.

And it was at moments like these that Nessarose thought that there was no point in trying. Giving up would be the best thing. Elphaba wouldn't come back. Glinda was happy with Fiyero off in the Emerald City. And Boq was just miserable. No one would miss her if she were gone. So giving up was a good option.

But the thing was, it _wasn't _an option, because she still had a flutter of hope. That Elphaba would come back. That Glinda and Fiyero and Elphaba would all be loved by all of Oz, and therefore, she and Boq could be happy together, also adored by Oz. So she kept at it, trying every day to make Boq love her.

And her image was hurt even more when it was announced that Frexspar Thropp had died. People everywhere had begun wondering. He had died just shortly after that little girl showed up. Because humans would do anything for power, right?

_Wrong._

Nessarose didn't want to be governor. She didn't want anyone to hate her anymore. She would have gladly given up her title had Boq loved her. But he didn't. So she had to continue.

"Madame Governor, did you...?"

Nessarose's body tensed as she heard Boq's monotone. Maybe he had heard her move around and had assumed she had fallen. Quickly, she wiped her tears and sat up, putting a happy smile on her face. Maybe he liked happy girls, like Glinda.

"Oh no, I'm fine, Boq. Thank you for your concern."

"I wasn't concerned..."

Nessarose felt her heart clench but she kept her smile. "Oh, well, no matter. I'm just fine. And happy." But she knew this wasn't true. She kept the mirror Glinda had given her with her at all times, and a quick glance at it told her she looked absolutely horrible. Black really wasn't her color, but she couldn't bring herself to dress in happy, bright colors.

Nervously, Nessarose brought up her eyes to meet Boq's, and she saw just blankness. But a moment later, he blinked, and seemed to notice her. He walked over and sat next to her.

"Oh, Nessa, are you crying?"

_Oh, what should I say? Yes, I'm a crybaby? No, I'm the tough Wicked Witch of the East? _Nessarose hesitated for a moment before shaking her head and saying, "No," while trying to keep the quiver out of her voice.

"Nessa, please don't cry. You know I don't like it when you cry." And his voice sounded so soft and loving. It was true, he didn't like it when she cried. She had figured as much when he wiped her tears the other day. He seemed like he did love her sometimes, but only as a friend.

"I know you don't. But I just wish you'd like me."

"I do like you. You're one of my best friends, Nessa. I just wish you'd let me go."

Nessarose wanted to let him go. She really did. And she would, too, if she knew he would come back. But Elphaba had promised her she would come back, and she never did. And she just couldn't let Boq go.

"I don't want to be your friend, Boq," Nessarose muttered, abandoning all morals. "I only want..." She trailed off, because there was really no way to finish her sentence. What _did _she want, exactly? Boq's love? To be able to walk? For Elphaba to come back? To go the Emerald City and rule with the Wizard and Glinda? Maybe just to go back in time to when they were at Shiz? To bring Father back? So many possibilities, true, but at some points, she just wished she could disappear. Fat lot of good she did, just being a dictator to the Munchkins and being a cruel witch to Boq.

"What do you want, Nessa? I could bring you dinner."

But she didn't _want _dinner! Didn't he understand? She wanted him, him, only him. And Nessarose wanted her old self back, the sweet, shy girl that didn't obsess over anything. If only she didn't like Boq! But she did.

"No, it's, it's okay. Thank you. You can go now," she muttered, turning away. If she needed to face reality, she would die alone someday with just her mind. And the other half of her mind was something dark that she didn't quite listen to. And when she did, well, bad things began happening.

"I'll brush you hair, Nessa," Boq said quietly, taking a brush and freeing her caramel hair from its bun. She didn't even like buns. She just wore a bun to look more official. But as his warm, long fingers touched her damp hair, she felt so _good _inside. And when he ran the brush tenderly through her hair, it made tears of joy nearly come to her eyes.

"I really do like your hair, Nessa," he said, stroking her long hair.

"Do you like me too?" Nessarose asked hopefully, sitting up straighter.

"Of course I like you," he said, and Nessarose could sense that was the truth. He _did _like her, when she was being kind, but it was obvious from the way he refused to eat dinner with her that he didn't love her.

"But you don't love me," she said, reaching for the mirror that Glinda had given her. Boq had brushed her hair and it was now in loose waves. But she looked ugly. She had giant black sacks under her eyes, making her really look like a witch.

"I'm done brushing your hair, Madame Governor," he said abruptly, dropping the brush and leaving. Nessarose was just about to call after him, but she couldn't. She'd already bothered him enough. Instead, she glared at her reflection and glanced at her high balcony.

* * *

**Author's Note: So, I sort of know where I'm going with this, but I also don't know... if that makes any sense! I'm trying to forshadow a bit, because it can be really weird when something happens out of the blue with no hints. I mean, a lot of people can pull it off because they're good authors, but I can't! So please read and review! If anything is confusifying, just ask! Also, note that I write differently for everyone. Glinda's POV is simplified because she doesn't really know big words. xD**

**Meg**


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25**

**Disclaimer: Don't own Wicked. (I feel like I spelled Disclaimer wrong. It looks weird. Or maybe it's just my brain messing with me?)**

* * *

"Wake up, retarded girlie!"

Glinda feebly tried to open her eyes and winced as her already sensitive eyes were met with a blast of sunlight streaming in through the window. She had a throbbing feeling in her head, as well as an intense feeling of pressure and tried not to whimper. Her mind didn't posses the foggiest idea of what was going on. _Ow, Sweet Oz, have mercy on me, please, _she asked silently, as she surveyed her room and saw Madame Morrible looming over her with a look of disgust.

"Get up now! It's ten in the morning, and you went to sleep around seven last night! Fifteen hours isn't how we do it in the Emerald City. Now get up, or I'll _make _you!"

_Fifteen hours? Oh, what's gotten into me?_ With a small sigh, Glinda rubbed her eyes softly, trying to get a grip on reality. Her thoughts were simply much too jumbled together to do any real thinking. She lay there for a moment, trying to remember what was going on. But she _couldn't_ remember. Nothing at all.

"What day is-hey!"

Glinda suddenly gasped as Madame Morrible dumped a jug of water over her. Admittedly, the water felt nice on her arm. One of her arms was shaking and felt like it was on fire, and her head was simply hurting in a horrendible manner that she had never before felt. But it was just so... so unexpected and _cold _and-

"Get _up!_"

Then, out of the blue, Madame Morrible shoved her_-hard_-off her bed and she tumbled to the ground, her head smacking hard against the hard floor. She felt tears coming to her eyes from pain, but she didn't cry. Now her headache was even worse, making the room spin slightly as she tried to sit up, feeling very disoriented and ill.

"You want to know what day it is, Glinda? It's Sunday. The day of your engagement announcement. Now get up and get ready, or I'll hurt you, I promise!"

Glinda didn't need any more incentive. In a panic, she scrambled to get vertical, but her legs were shaking under her a _lot. _She managed to stand up quickly enough, though, and backed away from Madame Morrible in fear as the woman's sharp claws were raised in front of her.

"I'm up, I'm up!" Glinda squealed, still backing away from Madame Morrible's claws.

"That took a while. It better not take a while again, or I promise you I'll make you get up every morning at five and run ten miles with a pebble in each of your shoes. That means no Ozcream or ice cream. Or makeup or hair brushes."

At those horrendible words, Glinda winced; she simply couldn't imagine not brushing her hair and running so much. Running made you dirty. She liked pretty, clearn sparkles.

"Now, will you explain to me why you slept for fifteen hours? You're useless, I already know that; but you _knew _that you had an event today! And dearie, tell me _why _you walked in on the Wizard when I was trying to convince him to order the immediate execution of any Animal caught interacting with any human?"

Glinda swallowed. The truth was, she really didn't care about Animals or animals and whatnot, but she didn't want them _dead _or anything. She had actually been going to tell the Wizard that she had finally been able to achieve a small bubble from the spell he had given her, but apparently Madame Morrible was mad at her now.

"I-I wasn't trying to do anything. I'm sorry, I just wanted to tell the Wizard that I was a-able to do the bubble spell now." Madame Morrible's face grew red as she stepped closer to Glinda. Uncomfortably close now, breathing with her hot breath over Glinda's face. Glinda had always been very sensitive to strong smells and temperature, and she was afraid she was going to be sick all over Madame Morrible.

"Girlie, you ruin everything without even trying. I'd like to get rid of you, I really would, but the Wizard happens to like you. I've no idea why, you're retarded, but he does. I promise you though, I swear I will kill you if you say something wrong today in your speech."

Audibly, Glinda whimpered as she took one more step back. But she had already stepped back far too much and she was trapped against the corner of her room. She then abandoned all formalities and shot to the left, trying to get out of her cornered spot, but Madame Morrible grabbed her by her arm and threw her against the wall.

"Stop, please, you're hurting me," she begged quietly, trying to free her arm. Madame Morrible looked ready to _really _hurt her now and she leaned back instinctively, ready to feel the sting of the-

"Stop!"

Both Madame Morrible and Glinda turned to the door, which was wide open, with Fiyero standing there. His eyes widened as he saw them both at the corner, and in a moment, he was there, at her side. Glinda's heart swelled with joy as he stood in front of her protectively. This would mean he had to love her! Even if she probably looked horrendible right then.

"What are you doing?" Fiyero asked in a low voice at Madame Morrible, who'd let go of her arm. Suddenly, the scene changed. Fiyero was an equal to Madame Morrible as they glared at each other, and Glinda was simply a bystander, a coward, hiding behind Fiyero.

"Teaching the retard some manners."

Glinda felt her breathing quicken at the harsh words. Her legs began trembling yet again and she still felt very sick, with Madame Morrible's smell still on her. Yes, she wasn't the most smartified girl in the world, but she was still _something._

"Don't call her that. Don't you dare call her that."

Fiyero's words nearly made Glinda nearly swoon with happiness. He was standing up for her. _He's standing up for me! He doesn't think I'm stupid! _A small smile broke through her face. When she had been in elementary school, kids had prettended to be her friend when they forgot their lunch money. They'd be nice to her all morning and tell her that she was pretty and popular, but the moment she bought them lunch, they would take off and leave her sitting by herself on her own table. So she'd taken to talking to herself. And bubbles and butterflies. Because who else could she talk to? The psychologists _tried _to make her talk; but it wasn't the same, it just wasn't like talking to someone. And at Shiz, Elphie and Nessie had genuinely liked her. Fiyero had been nice to her; he was perfect, she was perfect, so they were perfect together. And Biq had loved her... that much she knew. She had been nice to him at Shiz, because she actually didn't want to get to know him too well. Once he found out how stupid she really was, he would abandon her in disgust. Just like everyone else.

"And why not?" Madame Morrible's fishy talking brought her back to reality. "She _is _a retard, and she knows it."

_I_ do _know, _Glinda thought sadly. _I do. Fiyero, please don't let me down. I can't... I won't stand it if you desert me too. Fiyero, please, dearest..._

"She is _not. _Just because Glinda..." he turned to her and wrapped his arm around her waist protectively, making her squeal with joy and shock, "just because she doesn't react like everyone else, doesn't mean that she can't hear and feel. She's right here, you know. She can hear you, even if she won't stand up for herself. So excuse us, Madame Morrible, but we'd like some time. Alone."

_Sweet Oz, what does that mean?_ Glinda thought, as Madame Morrible stuck her nose up in the air and left with one last look of disgust at Glinda. After she closed the door, Fiyero immediately let go of her and walked to the other side of his room, breathing deeply with his eyes closed. Hesitantly, Glinda rubbed her arm and stepped forward. "Fiyero?" she asked quietly, realizing that his curly brown hair was _really _well combed with no split ends.

"Glinda, I need some time to think. Please. Go dress."

So he didn't want to talk to her. Her heart felt very close to getting a small crack, but she managed to put a smile on her face.

"I will," she said, exiting the room as gracefully as she could, but not quite managing it. She walked into the door and blushed, as she heard Fiyero sigh.

* * *

An hour later, Glinda entered her dressing room, with her new green dress in place. Her blonde hair was surprisingly not very curly; with a groan, she realized that straightening it at Shiz hadn't been very smart. She'd probably burned her hair, which now hung just below her shoulders, still very curly, but not as curly as it had once been. The hair person immediately began blow-drying her hair, and curling it. Glinda refrained from asking why, and settled on skipping breakfast to daydream about being able to finally do that bubble spell, the one the Wizard had told her.

In about another hour, Glinda had full makeup and her hair was in an elegant bun, which looked really professionalific, with a coolified hat with a feather. She squeaked as the hair person announced that she was done, and she skipped out the door (and it was open that time!).

As she approached the Wizard's door, Glinda felt a shiver of fear run through her. Fiyero. She ws getting married to Fiyero! She wasn't sure if Fiyero loved her yet. He had to love her though, because she loved him. They deserved each other. And at times, he seemed like he did like her. But only like. He treated her like a little sister sometimes. He blew bubbles with her, he brushed her hair when she asked, he helped her with deciphering/memorizing her speeches, but he never kissed her or went out with her to the Oz Theatre. Things couples did.

And when he had to go out into public to search for Elphie, Glinda was left utterly alone. And she didn't want to be by herself. She had never told anyone (the last thing she wanted was another psychologist to plug her to the socket), but she was afraid that she would go crazy and the inanimate objects she talked to would begin to talk back to her. Then she'd be, as Elphie put it, screwed. So she went to be with the Wizard. He always listened to her, told her to be happy, and he never called her useless or stupid.

In all of her life, Popsicle had always wanted her to be a doctor or lawyer. But she didn't _want _to be one. She wanted to be a singer or a dancer. An actress, maybe. That didn't work because her voice was "too high" and she couldn't ever sing on key, she had no balance or coordination, and no memorizing abilities. So she'd never been able to please Popsicle. She wanted someone to be proud of her and think she was smartified. So she told the Wizard that Elphie had thought he was wonderful. Because he seemed interested, Glinda had told him everything she knew about Elphie. To please him, to make him feel like she was smartified.

When Glinda finally made it to the throne room, she took a deep breath, made sure her dress and hat were in place, and knocked on the door. A moment later, the Wizard asked, "Who knocks?"

"Um, me, your Ozness! Glinda!"

"Oh. Enter, Glinda."

Glinda walked in the room nervously, and closed the door behind her. Then, she was met with the same dim light again and saw the Wizard sitting on his throne with Madame Morrible at his side, just like the other day. Was that all they did, sit in the throne? _It must be boring,_ Glinda guessed. But then she noticed her mind was wandering, so she tried to focus on reality. But the Wizard had _really _shiny bottles lying around.

"Oh, sparkly," Glinda muttered, walking to a particularly shiny green bottle. It looked sort of familiar, but her thoughts were still jumbling together so she couldn't make the connection. Her memory had been getting even worse, lately. She didn't realize she was about to walk into the table supporting the bottle until Madame Morrible grabbed her by the shoulders roughly, digging her claws into her soft skin and steered her towards the Wizard. There, she awkwardly attempted bowing, but fell over again and quickly stood up, blushing.

"Focus, dear," the Wizard said, with a look of pity on his face. Glinda nodded to show that she would try. But focusing wasn't easy. It required thinking abilities and she had very little of those. Elphie could make her focus, though. But Elphie was gone.

"Now, your speech is very simple. All you need to do is say that you're engaged to Fiyero and that you couldn't be happier. Madame Morrible will be with you to oversee things. And Fiyero will be with you also, of course. And Glinda, please don't suck your thumb."

Glinda realized that her thumb was indeed in her mouth. She took it out, quickly, and made a fist to remind herself to not suck her thumb. Madame Morrible had taken to pinching her every time she sucked her thumb. And it hurt.

"Well, if you're ready, dearie, the Ozians are waiting for you." Madame Morrible sneered, showing Glinda her claws and Glinda whimpered involuntarily.

From the throne room, she could already hear cries of anger against Elphie, and praising of the Wizard and Glinda the Good. Her stomach churned slightly in anticipation. Whenever she had to read out loud in Doctor Dillamond's class, Elphie had always squeezed her hand under the table and whispered her the words she got stuck on. Which were a lot. Glinda tried to grab Madame Morrible's hand, but Madame Morrible just looked at her in disgust and slapped her hand away. _Elphie _always _let me hold her hand, _Glinda thought sadly. _Why doesn't anyone like me here? Or let me play with them? Madame Morrible always tells me she hates me and she wishes I were dead. Maybe she thinks I'm too stupid. _

They soon emerged into the crowd, and Glinda put her most pleasant smile. And to her joy, Fiyero was already there, standing at the podium, and looking bored. Glinda nearly ran to his arms, but she remembered she needed to look calm and smart. So instead, she just walked up to the podium (and she managed to not trip on her way), tapped the microphone, and smiled at everyone which earned cries of "Awww, isn't she good?"

"Fellow Ozians," she said, and everyone squealed at the sound of her voice. But her mind hit a blank. _What do I say next? Don't say "bubbles"! _ "As terrifying as... terror is, let up put aside our panic for this one day..."

She nervously glanced at Madame Morrible who rolled her eyes at her choice of words, and then at Fiyero who was looking down, obviously bored out of his mind and not even paying attention to her.

"... and celebrate! Let's have a celebration today, the _Glinda _way!" she called, laughing lightly into the microphone from nerves. She had no idea what she was doing. Glinda loved the spotlight, yes, but not when she didn't know what to say. She wanted to look like an honorific, not a little girl with electricity and burned hair. She continued laughing until Madame Morrible jabbed her in the ribs and she remembered to not laugh so much in public. So many smartified rules.

"Thank goodness!" an Ozian man called, waving a flag reading _Long Live Glinda the Good!_

"Thank goodness!" an Ozian woman called, sporting an emerald shirt reading _Down with the Witch!_

"Thank goodness," Fiyero muttered, glancing at the nearest clock. Noticing Fiyero's annoyance, Madame Morrible quickly grabbed him by his arm and brought Glinda and Fiyero together, which the crowd ate up happily. And so did Glinda.

"And thank goodness for you, Glinda, and your handsome swain, our new captain of the guard." She turned to Fiyero, with those beady eyes of hers. "Now you've been at the forefront of the hunt for the Wicked Witch, haven't you?"

Fiyero shrugged, not enjoying the celebration. Glinda felt her smile falter, but she quickly turned to the crowd, with a big smile. She was _happy. _She couldn't be happier. _I couldn't be happier. _

"Not really, but I don't like to think of her as a Wicked Witch."

_Sweet Oz! _Glinda thought, panicked. _Oh, Fiyero, dearest, don't say that in front of everyone!_ Luckily, Madame Morrible pinched him and he seemed to shape up, but not before glaring at Madame Morrible. Glinda wished she had enough courage to glare at Madame Morrible, but she just cowered under her gaze... and her pinchie fingers and strong perfumes.

"Captain, how does it feel?" Madame Morrible hissed at him, to which Fiyero backed away from her giant, pointy claws and looked at the crowd. He just looked so _handsome! _Glinda felt her cheeks flush as she thought of him and her getting married.

"Frustrating. But I became captain of the guard to find her, and I will keep searching!"

The crowd roared in agreement. Glinda smiled at Fiyero who smiled back at her, but it was only a friendship smile, a kind Fiyero smile. A _pity _smile. But not the love Fiyero smile.

"No, being engaged!" Madame Morrible spat.

Glinda felt her stomach drop to the floor as she anxiously awaited Fiyero's response. He blinked, looking unsure of what was going on, his eyes slowly widening with realization as he looked at his arm which Glinda had hooked around her own.

"Congratulations!" the Ozians called, taking pictures of Fiyero and Glinda together. Glinda smiled prettily at the pictures, but Fiyero just stood there, dumbstruck.

"This is an engagement party?" he asked her, looking more shocked and angry than happy. She felt her heart getting closer to cracking.

"Surprised?" she asked, standing on her tip-toes to look at him closer. Unfortunately, she also almost fell over at that moment, as a wave of dizziness passed, but Madame Morrible straightened her before the Ozians noticed anything strange. "Control yourself, dearie!"

"Engaged? Surprised? Yes!" he snapped, not looking particularly as joyous as he should be looking in front of the Ozians. Glinda recognized the way he was rubbing his temple. That meant he had a headache, which Glinda knew very well. But why did he have a headache? Someone at school had once called her a problem and a headache. Was she the cause of his headache? Did Fiyero think Glinda was a problem?

But Madame Morrible hissed at her to speak. So she had to. Even though she couldn't think of what to say. Elphie had always known what to say. Elphie was one of the smartest persons Glinda knew. Both Elphie and Nessie had been the smartest students in the class. Biq was closely behing them both, and Fiyero was about average, but only because he didn't try and do homework. Glinda always had tried _so_ hard, every day, with all the words and numbers flipping in her head, to the point where Elphie had asked if she only had Ozlexia or there was another problem. Glinda had avoided that answer, and had simply refused to show anyone her grades. No A's at all. Or B's. She'd gotten an F in both math and English. While Biq, Fiyero, Nessie, and Elphie had all gotten A's.

"Good," she whispered, trying to smile as well as she could. "We hoped you'd be... the Wizard and I!"

Her choice of words were really _stupid_, she realized a moment later as Fiyero turned away. _Elphie used to say that a lot. _So she turned to the crowd, extremely angry with herself.

"Fellow Ozians, I..."

But her speaking faltered. Her heart was beginning to beat faster. Weakly, she turned to Madame Morrible who gave her a glare. With dread, Glinda realized she would get a scolding later. For being stupid. Quickly, she thought of the Wizard's words. That she couldn't be happier.

"I couldn't be happier. We couldn't be happier." she managed, trying to avoid Madame Morrible's look of utter disgust and hate.

"We want to share our fairytale with all of you, vicariously. He's so handsome and I couldn't be happier..." she trailed off, looking at his sparkling eyes. The crowd "aww!"ed, and Glinda leaned in, hoping to kiss him. He never kissed her. Yes, he hugged her and even brushed her hair when she asked him, but he never did anything romantic. Thank goodness he got the hint now, though, and he kissed her on her cheek. The Ozians immediately cheered for them. While they were busy hugging each other (and Fiyero was actually hugging her! In his _arms!_) Madame Morrible took the microphone before whispering a small thrat to Glinda and began explaining the "story" about why Elphie was wicked. Fiyero tensed, and Glinda didn't want to look into his eyes, for fear that he would suddenly disappear and he wouldn't be holding her any more. Then she would be alone.

The Ozians gasped and began whispering the rumors they had heard to each other. Madame Morrible stood there, nodding to every rumor and shaking her head sadly as if in pity. It wasn't until someone yelled that water could melt her that Fiyero finally let go of her.

"Do you hear that? Water will melt her? People are so empty-headed they'll believe anything!" he snapped, turning away and climbing off the podium. Glinda felt her chest hurt, but she plastered a smile on her face and waved cheerily at the crowd. "Excuse me just a tick-tock!"

Glinda rushed off the podium, where she and Fiyero stood facing each other. It was rather strange. Fiyero was even taller than Elphie and Elphie stood a whole head over Glinda. She remembered the day when she had blown them up. The thought almost made her cringe, but she stood strong, waiting for Fiyero to speak. And speak he did.

"I can't just stand here grinning, pretending to go along with all of this!"

"Do you think I like to hear them say those awful things about her? I hate it!" she said, trying to not look stupid. But he apparently seemed to take what she said the wrong way.

"Then what are we doing here? Let's go, let's get out of here!"

And that's what Glinda feared he would say. She wanted to go find Elphie, she really did... but she couldn't stand the thought of just leaving when every one of the Ozians loved her, without knowing how strange and stupid she could be at times. They simply loved_ her_, and for once in her life, they actually loved _her. _They didn't know about the electricity. The "depression" and everything else wrong with her. They didn't know that she couldn't read good. They just loved her.

"We can't leave now," Glinda said, panicking at the thought. "Not when people are looking to us to raise their spirits." But Fiyero only laughed mirthlessly, shaking his head.

"You can't leave, because you can't resist this. And that is the truth."

"Maybe I can't," Glinda whispered. That _was _the truth. But it wasn't bad, was it? No, it couldn't be bad or Momsie and Popsicle would say something. "Is that so wrong? Who could?" But that statement was pointless. She and Fiyero both knew who could, and he pointed that out.

"Fiyero, I miss her too, but we can't just stop living. No one has searched harder for her than you." Glinda actually doubted anyone would search much for her if _she _were gone. Well, Elphie would. A friend would. And Glinda was just stuffing her face with ice cream every day, when she could be searching for Elphie... _But that's not your fault, _she quickly convinced herself. _It doesn't mean that you're not a good friend. _ "But don't you see? She doesn't want to be found. We have to face it."

And Fiyero's hard look softened at her face. Angry with herself for being so stupid, Glinda swatted the bubbles floating around away and looked into Fiyero's eyes again. He frowned at her and held her arm, the one which she had been swatting the bubbles away with.

"Don't hurt youself," he whispered. She couldn't quite detect the emotion, but it looked like pity. Why did everyone look at her with pity? _They think I'm crazy. _ But she was determined to keep smiling so then he could like her. She didn't want to be pitied.

"You're right. I'm sorry, you're right," he said, smiling at her kindly. Glinda's face lit up and her face broke into a real smile. "And if it's going to make you happy, of course I'll marry you."

She would have kissed him right then, but the way he worded it was wrong. _And if it makes you happy. _You. _You_. Her. But not him? Didn't he want to marry her? She was mostly perfect (minus minor focusing problems and academical abilities) so he should _want_ to marry her.

"But it'll make you happy too, right?" she asked slowly, confusified and unsure if she wanted to hear the answer. But Fiyero just nodded, with a sad smile.

"You know me, I'm always happy."

Her heart finally cracked.

And with that, he gave her one last smile before turning away from the podium and going back into the palace. Glinda called after him, but in vain. She let her smile slip for a moment, before acting as if he was fetching her a mint chocolate shake. "Thanks plenty, dearest!" she called in his general direction, and the crowd ate it up. Madame Morrible gave a roll of eyes, and smirked, as if happy for her distress. Glinda simply took the microphone and her chance to speak.

"I-I couldn't be happier. Simply couldn't be happier. Well... not simply," she stuttered, looking down as Madame Morrible gave her a glare of hatred again. She was definitely going to be in trouble later. That was for sure. But she needed to make her point clear, or as well as she could.

" 'Cause getting your dreams, it's sort of strange, but it's a little, well complicated."

Her speech was beginning to slip, but she wasn't done yet.

"There's a kind of a sort of a cost. And there's a couple of things that get... lost."

_There are bridges you cross you didn't know you crossed until you crossed_, she thought to herself as the crowd all praised her name. Now the light-headed feeling was returning, and her thoughts were becoming jumbled and hazy again. Glinda's concentration abilities had evaporated since she the day Elphie had defied gravity. To get her presciption medicines, she needed to see a psychologist. And if she saw a psychologist, the Wizard would discover that she wasn't done with the electricty and make her go back to it. But Glinda was willing to be in her daydreaming land all day then to be in reality with electricty. So she let her thoughts go as she listened to the crowd. They called her lovely and good, as well as the Wizard, Madame Morrible, and Fiyero. Well, they didn't call the guys lovely. _That would be sort of weird, _Glinda thought, as she stepped off the podium and began walking back into the castle. She nearly walked into a wall, but she didn't; she began jumping up and down, while clapping.

"You paid attention! You didn't walk into that wall!" she squealed to herself. Once again, passing servants eyed her nervously and got away from her. Her smile fell a bit, and she wished someone would come talk to her. Glinda wanted to do something fun. She felt like doing someone's hair. Maybe Millie would let her do her hair later...

"Dearie, don't get away from me so fast. We need to see if the Wizard approves." Madame Morrible stepped out of what seemed like the shadows, scaring Glinda. But she quickly recovered her walking abilities, and she walked towards the throne room, skipping and ignoring the bubbles. Madame Morrible pinched her and she gasped, while reminding herself that Madame Morrible already thought she was crazy. And once they left the throne room, she was going to be in trouble.

Once they were inside, the Wizard turned to Glinda, smiling. "You did wonderful, my dear," he told her, and it made her want to giggle, but not giggling was one of the important tips.

"Oh, yay!" she said instead, and began spinning around until she fell. The whole time, Madame Morrible and the Wizard had been staring at her. But she couldn't keep it in. She began giggling, momentarily not caring about a thing in the world, until her thoughts became sorted out long enough for her to remember that she was about to be in trouble. Slowly, she stood up, noticing that she had broken a heel. Which was bad. She really liked those goldie heels.

"Glinda, you may go now. You did well. And please do try to stop eating ice cream so much."

Glinda paused at the door, after bowing. "Wait, why does everyone say that?" Everyone always told her to not eat so much ice cream, but she didn't know what was wrong with it. Surely it wasn't bad? It tasted very good. And it sort of made less bubbles. Until she got hyper. Then came more bubbles. But it made the headache and the pain in her pinched arms go away.

"Uh, listen, Glinda, dear, you could gain weight from sugary foods..." the Wizard said gently, and Glinda gasped. She was probably getting fat!

"It's not bad," the Wizard said quickly. "You're by no means fat. You've always been underweight, but that could change if you continue with so much sugar. Just try to eat your vegetables..."

But Glinda just groaned and covered her face with her hands. How embarrassing. She was probably _fat _and the Wizard was telling her himself. Now she wanted to go hide in a hole and die. _"Don't be so dramatic, Glinda. Don't make a whirlpool in a glass of water." _She could hear Elphie's annoyed voice in her head.

"Glinda, please, there's no need to cry about it, you're already skinny and beautiful-"

"I don't cry," she muttered, storming towards the door and forgetting to open it. In result, she accidentally rammed against it and tumbled to the floor again. This just increased her headache. But she wasn't going to mention any headaches. The Wizard had said frequent headaches was a sign of a serious problem, and they probably already thought she was enough of a problem. With a sigh, she took off her broken heels and waved off the Wizard's hand as he tried to help her up. "I can walk, thank you," she whispered, as she finished storming out the door.

* * *

**Author's Note: Glinda is fat! :O xD No, she isn't. She just thinks she's fat. Now, let's see, I think we better try a darker tone now... *cackles* I'm actually sort of sadistic when it comes to characters. I also fall in love with a bunch of fictional characters (the Phantom, Boq, Raoul, etc. xD) But the point _is... _I actually think there's no point in me telling you this, but still. xD (Psst, Me/any of the ones I mentioned are a good pairing. Ship us. Pease.) So, I also did a bit of foreshadowing here! See if you can detect it when the actual plot of this story comes in! Not that Wicked doesn't have a plot. Because it does. A very good one. Wicked's plot just isn't the main point of this fanfic. xD I'm done ranting now. Review, please! It would make my day! It'll only take a clock-tick!**


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Wicked. Or the Wicked Workshops.**

* * *

Dust particles floated around Nessarose, making her think deeply. Those particles could simply float away. Free. There was nothing holding them down. Not a stupid chair, or the love of someone who would never love her. She bit her lip.

Nessarose sat back in her chair, watching Boq as he checked through her mail. "Munchkin beer discounts, water bill, hate mail, uh, mail containing unfriendly letters, that is... and a wedding invitation. Hmm. From the Emerald City."

_Wedding invitation? From the Emerald City?_

Nessarose didn't know who would send her that. Many people refused to acknowledge they even knew her, now. Some Munchkinlanders had even gone as far as to say that they wished she were dead. All Nessarose wanted was for it to stop. But for Boq to be with her. Or Glinda, or Elphaba, or someone who actually _cared _about her. Cared about her feelings and her well-being. People like that were rare. Elphaba, Glinda, and Boq all fit the description, yes, but none of them showed eagerness to rush to her side and standy by her.

"Do you need something, Madame Governor? Perhaps some melon and lemon and pear punch?" Boq asked in his monotone, refusing to look her in the eyes. She felt slightly ill at the mention of that hideous drink, but she managed to wave it off. "N-no. Just water." she muttered, as he walked away in his strange, robot-like manner. Her hand reached out to him almost subconsciously, but she quickly lowered it, unsure of what exactly to say. Boq did need some alone time, after all. He'd spent all day with her thus far.

Well, she didn't waste any time just sitting there doing nothing. Nessarose really couldn't help the 'sitting there' part, but she did think. _Really, I never would have guessed you would've been thinking, Nessie, _came Elphaba's sarcastic retort in her mind. She longed to have Elphaba handing her carrots and sitting with her in the bedroom they had shared. Actually, the room they had shared when they were younger was still completely the same as they had left it about a year ago. Boq had asked if he needed to clean it out, but she just shook her head. Words had failed her. So instead, she just closed the door to that room, with a wild hope in her heart that Elphaba would return to her and they could both share the room again.

The current sleeping arrangements were strange. The few maids that worked for her (and only because they had been completely starving, with no money) refused to sleep in the same house as the Wicked Witch of the East. They had been surprised to discover her quiet, sweet manner, but were still terrified of her nonetheless. Just the other day, she had asked a maid for a letter opener, and the maid had fled, screaming curses that Nessarose wanted to kill her. Nessarose didn't even think they knew her name. She told everyone to call her Nessarose, and yet Boq still called her 'Madame Governor'. The maids called her 'the wicked' or something even more horrible.

Boq did sleep in the house with her, but only under her orders. And it was rare when they actually spent a whole night sleeping under the same roof, undisturbed. Usually, he would help Nessarose onto her bed, then leave for downstairs. Or they would be sitting downstairs, with Nessarose trying to start a conversation, and she would fall asleep on the couch. Because Boq was so kind, he wouldn't just leave her on the couch, and take a bed for himself. Instead, he would carry her upstairs gently so that she didn't wake up and lay her on her bed. Then, _he _would go sleep on the couch.

She was shaken away from her thoughts as Boq held out the water in a cup for her. She took it, trying to smile, and pretended to take a sip from it. Boq just stood there, refusing to look at her, and he just held his hands out. So with a sigh, Nessarose gently slid the cup into his hands.

"Will there be anything else, Madame?"

Nessarose swallowed, shaking her head slightly. She attempted to smile up at him, but he turned away from her. "I've asked you to call me Nessarose. Remember?" _Or Nessa, or Nessie, or Rosie, or Nessarosie or anything, just not Madame Governor! _she thought sadly. But at least he didn't call her the Wicked Witch of the East. That would just break her heart if he ever did. Because she knew she wasn't wicked. She wasn't. No matter what anyone said, she was just a shy, young girl, who abused her position. And that she admitted.

"Yes... Madame," and with that, he turned and left. Nessarose's heart shrank. She truly had believed he would call her Nessarose. _Oh, Boq, _she thought, _anybody who's as perfect as you deserves a girl who's right in every way. If only I were perfect too, I could finally hear you say 'We deserve each other!'_

"Oh, Boq!" Nessarose whispered to herself, reaching behind her chair and pulling out Glinda's mirror. The only thing she had from Glinda. The pink dress was still at Shiz because Nessarose didn't dress like that anymore. Amost obsessively, Nessarose had found herself trying to find a picture of Glinda. She wanted to see if Glinda still had the necklace. But no such luck thus far. Mabe the friendship was one-sided. And this hurt her like a stab in the heart. So she didn't think about that. Instead, she looked at her reflection. That hideous face of hers. She truly was a witch at times.

"Well, it seems the beautiful only get more beautiful."

Nessarose gasped, nearly dropping the mirror, and she whirled around, trying to find the source of the voice. Her jaw dropped open as she saw _Elphaba, _out of all the people to be speaking, appearing out of nowhere. Involuntarily, she screamed but quickly got control over her mouth again and closed it.

"And the green just get greener."

What was going on? Why did her dear sister Elphaba decide to appear _now, _after all this time? Maybe Elphaba _was _wicked after all. She looked scary, in a black dress that seemed to be made out of random dark fabrics just stitched together, and her long hair down her back. Not to mention that Elphaba also had giant black sacks under her eyes.

And why had Elphaba waited so long?

"I'm sorry," Elphaba smirked, but Nessarose could see the different emotions flying through Elphaba's eyes at hundreds of miles per hour. In them, Nessarose could detect caution, pain, regret, and a form of happiness. "Did I scare you? I seem to have that effect on people."

_Well, obviously, if you sneak up like that_, Nessarose wanted to say, but her voice wasn't working. Just... all she wanted was to crawl into a hole and die. She didn't want to face Elphaba and hear poor excuses for abandoning her. She was done with everyone promising to be with her, then abandoning her.

"Wh-what are you doing here?" Nessarose finally asked darkly, after her voice returned to her. Out of all the questions she had to ask Elphaba, Nessarose simply wanted to know why Elphaba had returned _now. _When she could have returned such a long time ago! Then, maybe she would have stopped her from doing all those awful things! But it wasn't something simply taken lightly. Maybe they were both wicked, after all.

"Well, there's no place like home." Elphaba said darkly, stepping closer to her, and Nessarose wheeled herself back slightly. She saw pain flash through Elphaba's eyes, before she went back into her calm expression. "I never thought I'd hear myself say this, but I need father's help. I need him to stand with me."

Didn't she _know? _Didn't Elphaba care enough to find out about Father sooner? No, Elphaba' wouldn't know. Elphaba was too busy helping Animals and everyone! Everyone but her. "That's impossible," Nessarose said, shaking her head, trying to keep her temper and fear in check. Right then, the fear was overpowering, but if-

"No, no, it's not. Not if you ask him. You know he'll listen to you, Nessa."

Well, Nessarose didn't want to be the one to break it to Elphaba, but if she hadn't cared enough to find out by herself, then she would say it. As firmly as she could, she sat up straighter and glared at Elphaba.

"Father's dead."

Finally, a decent reaction. Elphaba's eyes widened slightly. "What?" she asked, in a tone that sounded upset, but not in the way Nessarose wanted. Elphaba didn't sound upset at the fact that Father was dead, she sounded upset at the fact that Nessarose was telling her.

"He's dead. I'm the governor."

Elphaba was still looking surprised, and Nessarose kept her glare full on in hopes that Elphaba would decide to come back and live with her. Take her power. Take it all away from her; everything but Boq. She needed Boq now. He was like a drug to her.

"Well, what did you expect? After he learned what you'd done, how you'd disgraced us, he died. Of shame. Embarrassed to death."

However, these words didn't have the effect she planned. Elphaba's eyes seemed to narrow slightly, as if she also suspected that Nessarose herself had killed Father. Nessarose knew everyone thought so. Well, if Elphaba was going to believe that Nessarose was wicked, then Nessarose would believe that Elphaba was wicked too.

"It's you, then?"

"It's me? What?"

They both stared at each other. Then, Elphaba stepped forward nervously.

"I've heard of a Wicked Witch of the East. I thought it was Father, and maybe I had heard wrong, but-"

"I'm not _wicked, _Elphaba!"

Elphaba's eyes seemed to be looking around nervously, as if checking to see if Nessarose had a hidden weapon of some sort. Her eyes now held a sort of caution.

"Nessa," Elphaba began carefully, "did you...?"

"Did. I. _What?_" Nessarose spat, fuming. How could Elphaba think that?

"Did you... to be Governor, did you k-kill... I mean... never mind."

Nessarose turned away from Elphaba sharply. She didn't want her dear sister to see the tears coming to her eyes. Why did Elphaba think that? And just about every other person in Oz? She was not a wicked witch! Elphaba was the only wicked witch! "Get out," Nessarose said softly.

"No, no, Nessa, don't take it that way, please don't! I don't know what came over me, but you would never. You loved Father. It's better that he's dead."

And that was confirmation for Nessarose. So Elphaba really was wicked, if she was willing to _rejoice _that Father was dead. What if Elphaba had come to finish her off? Here, she had been thinking that Elphaba thought she wanted to kill her, when it could be Elphaba that wanted to kill _her. _

"That's a wicked thing to say!" Nessarose said with as much strength as she could. She fought to keep her gaze cold and hard, and Elphaba's blank expression had another flash of pain in it. Could Elphaba tell that she was afraid of her? Had it been similar to what she had felt when she thought Elphaba was afraid of Nessarose?

"No, it's true. Because now it's just us. You can help me and together we can-"

But all the anger Nessarose had ever bottled up opened up right then. Here Elphaba was happy that Father was dead and not only that, but she thought Nessarose would be willing to help her out now? Elphaba had truly lost her mind.

"Elphaba, shut up!" The look of surprise on her sister's face calmed her down for a moment, before the anger returned. "First of all, I can't harbor a fugitive, I'm an un-elected official!"

The moment would have been comical had it not been so serious too.

"And why should I help you?" Yes, why _should _she help Elphaba who always went around and had just left her at Shiz all by herself! "You fly around Oz trying to rescue Animals you've never even met, and not once have you ever thought to use your powers to rescue me!"

Her breaths were now coming out quick and short, and-was it possible?-Elphaba was backing away from her slightly with a frightened expression. But she didn't care. Not now. With her rage, Nessarose wheeled herself across the room, chasing Elphaba as well as she could.

"All of my life, Elphaba, I've depended on you, how do you think that feels? All of my life I've depended on you and this hideous chair with wheels!" She sniffed, trying to control her emotions. Something she had always strived at. But it seemed to have magically disappeared. "Scrounging for scraps of pretty to pick up and longing to kick up... my heels."

Elphaba began with her petty excuses at how she couldn't do everything, but Nessarose turned away. It all came down to one matter, anyway. She couldn't walk. So she couldn't be perfect for Boq, while Glinda could. Glinda had it all, to the point where it was unfair. If only she could walk!

But at that moment, she felt a sharp pain pass through her feet. _A sharp pain pass through her feet. _Was it possible? She hadn't ever been able to feel her legs and now... she could feel! But she felt pain. And Elphaba was waving her arms with her horrible book wide open. _Was Elphaba trying to _kill _her? _Her little sister? No, not possible. But then, why did they feel as if they were burning? In a panic, Nessarose lifted the hem of her black dress and saw her silver shoes flash into a magnificent shade of ruby.

And then, as if by magic, her feet suddenly moved forward as if they had their own mind. Nessarose grasped her chair wildly, until she was standing. She was fully standing. Her joy came in deep, pulsing waves, even as she tumbled down to the ground.

Elphaba was there in an instant, offering her her hand, but Nessarose shook her head. "No, don't help me," she murmured, shakily standing up. And then she was doing it. Nessarose was standing with no support from any chair!

"Oh, Nessa, at last... I finally did something good! From these powers, I-I finally did something good!"

But Nessarose had only one thing in mind; if she could stand, then she was every bit as perfect as Glinda. Sure, she still had many flaws, but she was coming as close to perfect as Glinda. Finally, she was perfect too, perfect for Boq, and they would be equal! They deserved each other. And all because she was standing!

"Boq! Boq! Come quickly!" Nessarose squealed, ringing her nearest bell. Step by step, she would make it. _All the munchkins will see me, looking all dreamy, taking my stand! _Of course, Nessarose would immediately give all the Munchkins their rights back, and maybe even more, because Boq wouldn't want to leave her. She'd be the ruler of Munchkinland, with Glinda ruling the Emerald City (sort of) and Elphaba back with her!

"Boq?"

Elphaba broke the silence, and Nessarose suddenly realized that Boq couldn't know Elphaba was there. She'd have to come up with a story as to how she came to be able to walk. But for then, she needed to sit and... too late.

"Yes, what is it, Madame Governor?"

His gaze then strayed over to Elphaba, who stood there, surprised to see Boq. Nessarose felt guilt surge up in her as Elphaba's eyes widened with sudden realization. But Boq interrupted whatever Elphaba was going to say.

"What are you doing here? You stay back!" He picked up the letter opener and held both Elphaba and she at bay as he stood in between them, pointing the letter opener at both of them madly. It wsn't just a random thing. Back at Shiz, Fiyero, Elphaba, Glinda, Boq, and her had all sat at the same lunch table every day, and even gone out to do group things. Boq and Elphaba had always been close in a manner that truly represented friendship. They had both been the most protective in a strange manner. Elphaba, quick-minded, was quick to fire back a comment at any bystander who would stare at them. And Boq, though it was obvious he liked Glinda, was very protective over them all. Whenever Elphaba was insulted, the little Munchkin boy had the courage to face anyone and tell them to go stuff their faces.

"Boq, it's just me, I'm not going to hurt you!" Elphaba said, looking extremely hurt.

"No, you're lying! That's all you ever do. You and your sister, she's as wicked as you are!"

Nessarose's heart cracked slightly as she heard him call her wicked for the first time. Maybe she had been a bit unreasonable by taking the rights of the Munchkins, but she'd never meant to hurt anybody. Just keep Boq... While she was frowning at her lap, she heard Boq continue speaking.

"... and do you know why?"

Nessarose leaned forward slightly, smiling at Boq widely, trying to show him that she loved him. "To keep you here, with me," she admitted, "but I don't care, I'll change the laws! Because none of it matters anymore, Boq! Look!" And she stood up with grace, looking at Boq's expression. He dropped his letter opener in shock. And he looked happy!

"Nessa, this changes everything," he said excitedly, rushing towards her and grabbing her hands. And he had finally called her by her name! Maybe he was going to propose to her just now! "I know," Nessarose muttered, breathless and lost by his beautiful eyes.

"Listen, Nessa?"

"Yes?"

"Uh, Nessa, surely I'll matter less to you now. And maybe you won't mind me leaving here tonight."

_Leaving._

"Leaving?"

"Yes, Nessa. The wedding invitation; it's Glinda and Fiyero's. And I need to go tell Glinda I love her."

_Glinda._

"Nessa, you know I lost my heart to Glinda the moment I first met her. You know that."

Glinda. Glinda. Glinda. It was still Glinda. Even after she could walk, he just wanted Glinda. Of course, who wouldn't choose a beautiful happy blonde over a quiet cripple? Nessarose herself would have chosen Glinda had she been in Boq's position. But Boq was _hers, _didn't he understand? She slipped from Elphaba's hug where she had been crying silently.

"Lost. Your. Heart."

It wasn't a question. It was more like statement.

"Well, we'll see about that! Remember; who's your 'Madame Governor'?"

And with that, she spotted the Grimmerie, which Elphaba had left lying wide open from the spell casting she had done. Well, he was going to lose his heart all right. To her! In a millisecond, she swooped down and began reading a spell, uncertainly. The words were strange, what she could manage to decipher. It was difficult with the strange lettering, but she was managing just fine. And there was Elphaba's voice in the background, saying something about pronouncing-

"Ahhh!"

It was the most horrible sound Nessarose had ever heard. Her Boq, _her Boq, _was in pain. Why? He was supposed to fall in love with her, not feel any pain! Boq was too good to feel pain, he didn't deserve any pain!

"Boq?" Nessarose asked loudly, trying to keep her voice from cracking. "What is it? What's wrong?"

But Boq was just clutching his chest madly, making squeaks of pain. "My heart," he gasped. "It-it feels like it's shrinking!"

Oh _no. _It wasn't possible! Could she have made Boq literally lose his heart? No!

"Elphaba, do something!" Nessarose begged, while Elphaba paced around quickly, and then finally snatched the Grimmerie away from her hands. "Please!"

"I have to find another spell. It's the only thing that might work."

And with that, Elphaba wheeled Boq (who had fallen into her chair) to another room. Nessarose gazed after them for a moment before snapping back into her nightmare. Well, she had finally done it. She may have been Nessarose before, but with her little actions, she had just lost any right to be called Nessarose. She was the Wicked Witch of the East. And that was that.

"Save him. Please, Elphaba, just save him. My poor Boq, my sweet, my brave him. I remember how he held me at dance." And she could. Vividly. It was as if he was standing right there with her, with his warm hand on her shoulder. A sob escaped her.

"If I could, I'd... I'd turn back time, to restore him! Elphaba? Is that a chance? With one of your chants?"

But Elphaba wasn't answering her. All Nessarose could hear was the pounding of her own heart and Elphaba's mutterings as she seemed to cast a spell. A moment later, Elphaba emerged from the room, with the strangest expression on her face. It was almost a disturbed expression. Nessarose waited, and when Elphaba didn't say anything, she prompted her. "Well?" she asked quietly, her head down in shame.

"He's asleep," Elphaba said in a blank voice, looking down at her own hands, and studying the greenness. But that wasn't what Nessarose wanted to hear.

"And his heart?"

"That's all right..." Elphaba looked into Nessarose's eyes. "He won't... need one."

The way Elphaba was talking was worrying Nessarose, but she wasn't just going to stand there and do nothing. And Elphaba had a similar idea. She snapped out of whatever trance she had been in and picked up her bag.

"I've got to get to the Emerald City. What happened to those monkeys was my fault."

But Nessarose, as wicked as she was, was not a fool. After all, Elphaba had also just heard about the wedding invitation. "You're not going there because of those monkeys! You're going to find Fiyero! But it's too late. Elphaba. Please don't leave me here."

Both sisters looked at one another. Nessarose stepped forward to take Elphaba's hand, but Elphaba stepped just out of her reach.

"I'll come back, Nessa. I'll never leave you alone again. You can't... you with power... I'll be back soon, Nessa," Elphaba said, with one more glance of pity and then she ran out. Nessarose's face crumbled and she was crying freely. Well, what could she have expected? For Elphaba just to stay happily with her? But at least she still had Boq.

Boq was the only thing keeping her anchored to this world now. Her sweet Boq. Without Boq, she was absolutely nothing, but her Boq was still alive and all because of Elphaba. She stepped forward with a sigh or relief when she heard some creaking.

"Wh-what happened?" a groggy voice asked. Nessarose scratched her head. She'd never been good at lying, but she needed to do it now.

"Uh, nothing. You just... fell asleep."

It was a pitiful lie and she knew it. But her Boq was safe and all because of Elphaba.

"Ughhh..." Boq groaned. Something wasn't quite right. Nessarose could hear creaking. Quite a bit of creaking, actually. Then Boq entered the room and Nessarose screamed involuntarily. Her Boq was made of tin. Tin!

"Oh... it wasn't my fault," she begged him, trying to take his metallic hand. She still loved him, but surely he wouldn't be happy now. But he refused to let her touch him. He screamed as he saw his metallic body. "I tried to stop her!" Nessarose lied wildly, unsure of what to do now. Boq couldn't be angry with her. He just couldn't.

But he was. He glared at her and began running off, away from Nessarose and out the door. Nessarose ran out the door, but to her dismay, she saw nothing. Quickly, she circled the house a few times, with her legs shaking violently from overuse. But it was no use. Boq was gone. And she was left all alone.

Exhausted, Nessarose collapsed on the ground, just at the backyard, and began crying violently, her whole body shaking with sobs. This alerted her two maids, who came out and saw what the disturbance was. Nessarose could hear their conversation.

"D'you think the Witch has finally gone off the deep end?"

"Yeah, she has. Look at her, how did she even get out here without that poor boy, Boq?"

"I don't know. Should we leave her...?"

"Let's see if she's dying."

They approached Nessarose who suddenly controlled her sounds and she pushed herself into a sitting position, looking up with her dark eyes. Both maids backed away slightly once they saw her. Well, Nessarose already knew she looked like a real witch, but there was no need to rub it in.

"Witc-I mean, pardon me, Governor. Did something happen?"

Well, why not milk up her role now? Nessarose glared at them both and pushed her hair back. She could blame it on Elphaba, but Elphaba's reputation was already horrible enough. Besides, it hadn't been Elphaba's fault. It was time to blame her own self. At long, long last. "Yes, something did happen. I killed Boq. Because I'm the Wicked Witch of the East!"

It was probably best to say that she killed him, because now he would never return. And she had, as well, killed him. She'd taken his human body.

But the look on the maids' faces was horrible. They stared in shocked horror before holding out their knives.

"Stay away from us, you wicked witch! We knew you were evil! You killed your father and now that poor boy? Oh, Evanella, let's leave now!"

"Stop," Nessarose commanded, and she stood up. Both maids backed away in fear as they saw her stand.

"Stay away, Witch!" They yelled and they ran off. Nessarose considered going after them, but they wouldn't understand. Nobody would, now. Boq, her love and reason for living, was gone now, Elphaba, her dear sister and the source of hope, had left her, and... and Glinda. Glinda. Her best friend. Her only friend, now. Nessarose closed her eyes. She needed to see Glinda. She... she just needed to make sure.

Nessarose worked up enough energy to walk back into the house. On her chair, she spotted Glinda's mirror. She made her way over to it, remembering her favorite necklace which she had given Glinda in return.

"Anybody who's as wicked as me deserves to lose the one she loves the most. Now he hates me. Passionately. Well, it couldn't be more clear or fair. The wicked die alone."

Nessarose closed her eyes for a moment, allowing a few more tears to fall out of her eyes.

"Alone and loveless here, with just the girl in the mirror. It seems only right we should end up with one another. We deserve each other."

She put the mirror down.

"The Wicked Witch of the East." she said to no one in particular. Well, she was alone now, for forever, and there was really no point in anything anymore. It was time to give up.

But it wasn't.

She had one remaining hope. Glinda.

* * *

**Author's Note: Ah... it's been a month. I'm so sorry! I'm horrendible. And I'm sorry for the ending and everything. I... I'm insane. xD Now, I was thinking, and I'm actually changing this fic to a retelling only, and then I'll make the post-musical fic a different fanfiction because I don't think they go together, actually. So, please excuse me as I work with the prologue. I'll have to change it to some event in the musical. Like I said, I' insane. xD**

**Please review! There'll be more on Nessa soon! Chapter 27'll come out in a week, I promise! Oh, by the way, I combined Wicked Witch of the East with We Deserve Each Other Reprise, from the Wicked workshops. So if you recognize some weird lyrics, well, they were slightly paraphrased from the Wicked Workshop. I also added one line from Step By Step. xD **


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27**

**Disclaimer: Me no own Wicked.**

* * *

Glinda was huddled on the floor of her closet, something she had taken to doing as of late. She rocked back and forth slowly, simply staring at the wall. There was nothing to _do. _If she left her room, then Madame Morrible would glare at her, and she didn't want that. She wanted Fiyero, but he had to leave most days, being the captain of the guard, to go find Elphie. Glinda wanted nothing more than to find Elphie, hug her, maybe kiss her, and then slap her. In that order. And maybe after slapping her, she could kick her.

_Why so pissed, Glinda? _came Elphie's sarcastic voice. Glinda buried her face in her legs. Elphie's voice randomly popped into her head at times. At first, Glinda had thrived on it, enjoying the voice of her best friend. But then she grew scared. What was Elphie's voice doing in her head anyway? It had no right to be in there!

_Shut up, Elphie, _Glinda thought back. _It's all your fault, for flying off the handle. I told you not to. I told you to join me and the Wizard. So why didn't you? He could've degreenified you, and fixified Nessa...!_

And like the end of every other day of her life, she was alone. Everyone abandoned her, at the end. Elphie had left. Fiyero was never with her, even though she loved him, she truly loved him and wanted him to love her back. She understood Nessa's pain. She loved Biq and he didn't love her back. But who did Elphie love, anyway? _Never mind, _Glinda told herself, suddenly annoyed. _I don't care about who Elphie loves. She could love Biq, for all I care. _

It was those rare moments when she felt angry. All the time, people walked over her, did whatever they wanted with her, and never even apologized for a thing. Yeah, just go break Glinda's heart, and let's take off. That was all they ever did. Did Fiyero even care, that she had been waiting all day for him inside the closet? That she hadn't eaten all day, waiting to have lunch with him? No, he was probably laughing his head off with the other guards, stuffing his face with meat. Her nose wrinkled in digust, before sagging back into the hopeless expression which she allowed no one to see. She was perfect. And she very much intended to keep that illusion going for as long as possible.

Glinda was only distracted from her thoughts when a bubble floated down next to her. She was about to give up and go overdose on whatever she could find in the counter to make all the hallucinations stop, but after a blink, she realized it was a real bubble. A physical bubble. Nervously, she looked around before popping it with her pinkie.

A little note fluttered out. Tentatively, Glinda smoothed it and began reading as well as she could. It wasn't very easy. The handwriting was slanted to the left, very light, and written in thin, loopy letters. It was nearly impossible to differentiate between all the b's and the d's.

_Glinda,_

_Elphaba came. After all this time, she came. But she's gone again. Just like before. And this time, Boq's gone too. I have no right to ask you this, but please come. I feel so alone and so lost... you're the only person I can trust now. You won't let me down, will you, Glinda? Do you remember how much fun we used to have? At Shiz? Without Elphaba, Boq, or Fiyero. I know you think that there's only such thing as chemically-induced happiness. Maybe there is, but I'm not willing to test it out. They've all left me, and from what I hear, Fiyero's never with you. But I never left you at Shiz. You can trust me. And I hope I can trust you._

_Nessarose_

Glinda's fingers trembled slightly. Nessie. Nessie still wanted her. And sadly, at that point, Glinda was ready to go to anyone. Except Biq. But according to Nessa, he was gone anyway. She had to get to Nessa. Soon. But first, she had her engagement party. Hopefully Fiyero _would _show up.

* * *

Elphaba cursed using every word she could think of as she made her way towards the Emerald City Palace. The cool wind felt refreshing on her flushed face. And the scratches on her arms and legs from working her way through enemies everywhere were aching, but less so when she was flying. It really was a magical feeling, to fly so high. Made her forget all her problems. So many problems. Too many problems. It just wasn't fair.

Just as soon as she had said enough words to give Glinda a heart attack, Elphaba suddenly stopped talking at all and fought the lump at the back of her throat. What had happened to her little Nessie? Elphaba knew Nessarose loved Boq, yes, but enough so that she was willing to turn into a dictator of Munchkinland just to keep him with her? And it was like Nessarose had eyes only for Boq and nothing else, not even thinking about those poor Munchkins and all the lives she was ruining because of her evil actions.

In a way, Nessarose partially deserved her title as the witch of the East, but Elphaba knew that somewhere, her Nessie was still her Nessie. It was just all that ridiculous problem with Boq. And why was Boq a problem? Because Glinda, dear blonde Glinda, had paired up Nessarose and Boq.

Glinda, curse her, had cared only about her own happiness, not caring that she would eventually be the cause of Nessarose's downfall and Boq's transformation. After completing the spell, Elphaba had felt... strange. Almost wicked. But not quite. In her heart, she was only Elphaba Thropp, the sarcastic and rude nerd. Whatever. All that 'witch' stuff really did get to you, however.

And yet, Elphaba couldn't deny that she had changed Boq. He had been in no condition to tell her what he wanted, of course, but she had doomed him to a life of eternity as tin.

"Well," Elphaba muttered to herself. Her visit to Nessarose hadn't exactly gone as planned. An understatement. For starters, if Father were still alive, he could have controlled Nessarose in her rage. But he wasn't alive. And this did lead Elphaba to suspect that Nessarose had killed Father. It was a possibility, yes; but an unlikely one, at that. Nessarose adored Father. But then again, Nessarose also adored Boq, and he was now made of tin completely. Well, loving Nessarose was quite the curse. She herself loved her Nessie deeply. Her sweet little sister. And her current status wasn't an all too desired status.

Honestly, Elphaba wasn't sure what feelings had happened back there. At first, she had been scared to see the way Nessarose looked at her. But then, she'd seen the fear in Nessarose's eyes, and she had also guessed that Nessarose thought Elphaba had wanted to hurt her. Well, whatever it would be, both of them, the closest of sisters, had suspected each other capable of murder. And it was simply ridiculous. They _knew _each other, for goodness sake. They had slept in the same room for fifteen years.

But it was done. Elphaba should never have left Nessarose by herself and that was a serious lapse of judgement in her part. She should have known better than to leave her poor sister, who had depended on her her whole life, by herself. Elphaba simply had to let it go, as many people told her, and get on with it. But the problem was, Elphaba didn't like to 'let it go'. She persevered until the last moment. She could forgive, but she wouldn't forget. It was her damn pride, an unhealthy level of it, and the feeling that she could do anything. She was unlimited, after all.

"Ha! Hahahaha!" she did her famous 'witch' cackle as she flew. Had anyone been watching her, Elphaba was quite certain they would have assumed she was definitely crazy and wicked. Well, maybe she was crazy, but she wasn't wicked.

Her laugh left her feeling quite drained and her shoulders sagged in exhaustion. Being on the run, she naturally had very little time to sleep. Yes, she looked like a monster from hell sent to murder people and she knew it. But Fiyero would understand... He was engaged to Glinda, and yet Elphaba knew it wasn't Glinda he loved. What they had shared on their spare time, whether good or bad, there was no denying that Fiyero must have liked her just a little bit.

"And what exactly is your brilliant plan once you crash precious Glinda and Fiyero's engagement ball?" she snapped at herself, angry for just doing things impulsively with no plan. Normally it was Glinda the one who did things without thinking; like beating her own head with a wand. But with important decisions, Elphaba had always been quick to go by her instinct. But now she wasn't sure what to think of her instinct. It landed her in this horrible situation, after all.

* * *

"Glinda? My dear? Are you all right?"

Glinda blinked and realized she had been sucking her thumb and staring at the wall. She winced and turned to face the Wizard who was watching her closely from his throne. Madame Morrible was chuckling, and she walked out the door. "If you need me later, your Ozness, summon me!" she called as she left. Glinda was all alone with the Wizard. She immediately felt nervous.

"Why do you never pay attention when people are speaking to you, Glinda?"

Glinda scratched her head and looked at the ground. Her green engagement dress ruffled as she moved her feet slightly. "I don't know, your Ozness. I've never paid attention." She began fidgeting with her engagement ring, which sparkled in the dim light. It had a sparkling pink stone on it. It was beautiful. And what warmed her heart most of all, was that Fiyero had actually had it custom made for her. Just a few minutes ago, he had walked in, exhausted from the work, but smiling at her, as he kissed her forehead. He had slipped it on her finger, before telling her that he was going to change and he would meet her at the ball in a little while. And he had slipped the ring into her her left hand so gently!

"My dear, we've talked about this before. If something is bothering you, or you're unhappy, you must come tell me at once so I can make you feel better. I love you like my daughter, Glinda."

At his words, Glinda was going to thank him, but instead gave a small gasp and put her hand up to her right temple. Just a moment ago, a sharp pain had passed through it. Of course, she was used to a dull, aching feeling, but she hadn't felt such a sharp pain since... well, since the electricity had stopped. Normally, it lingered especially after the electricity, but it came back in short, sharp pains throughout the months. Since she had moved to the Emerald City, she had discontinued (and she hadn't mentioned it to anyone) and simply made do. After all, she did not need electricity. Electricity didn't do anything helpful.

"Glinda? Glinda, are you all right?" asked the Wizard, standing up in alarm and approaching her. He leaned his arm out to steady her, but she simply backed up and shook her head. The pain was gone, filled with a dull buzzing feeling as well as dizziness.

"Sorry. I don't know what got into me. I think I'll go do something. There's still those twenty-seven bunnies I bought. And there's the bubble spell, your Ozness. Maybe I'll practice it."

"Wait. You look better. Have you been eating your vegetables now?"

Glinda nodded, with a sigh. "I've stopped eating."

The silence was awkward and uncomfortable. So she decided to volunteer her own ideas. She just needed to get out of the throne room, into Fiyero's arms, and then into Nessie's arms.

"Now, I think I'll go..." she paused, uncertain if she should say something else, but she merely shrugged and walked out.

The Wizard just sat there, gazing after her.

* * *

**So I randomly felt like updating with a tiny chapter! I hope whoever reads this enjoys. I have evidence that about two people read this. Thanks to musicalvampirelove and ComingAndGoingByBubble for reviewing 26! Well, please review! On a braggy note, the Boq of the national tour said he liked my shoes! I've told pretty much everyone. xD**


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Wicked.**

**Author's Note: Hey, guys! So, if you're reading this, then you are like one of the best people in the world, 'cause I suck at writing. xD Anyway, here's chapter 28, containing the Wonderful scene. Please leave a review! Thanks to ComingAndGoingByBubble and musicalvampirelove for putting up with all of this and reviewing 27. Also, thanks to Hollow'sXmas for reviewing 1! Inspiration from this scene came from Dee Rosciloi (Elphaba) and Erin Mackey (Glinda). They rock!**

* * *

Elphaba finally managed to climb into that hideous throne room of the Wizard's. The light was dim and she couldn't see what was going on very well. Judging by it all, it appeared to be empty. Thank goodness, because she was exhausted. She wanted to lie down and sleep, clean her wounds, eat real food. Looking around, Elphaba set her broom right next to that creepy Wizard head and began inspecting.

"I knew you'd be back."

Elphaba jumped about a mile in the air when she heard the voice that haunted her dreams, making the hair at the back of her head stand up. The voice that blended among others', responsible for her downfall. She whirled around quickly, incredibly furious when she saw her broom in the Wizard's hand. Who did that old fool think he was, taking _her _broom? Hadn't he done enough damage? And more importantly, why had _she _been stupid enough as to leave her broom lying around? She was on the run! She couldn't be this careless!

"Hear me out," he begged her, looking stupid. "I never meant to harm you."

At hearing this, Elphaba let out her high-pitched cackle which frightened so many small minded citizens of Oz. "Well, you have harmed me," she snapped, clearing her throat and glaring at the Wizard the best that she could. Well, sleeping and her wounds could wait until later, apparently. After all, it didn't matter if she died from a blood infection. Who cared if she fell into a river from exhaustion? Nobody, obviously. All thanks to the fool.

"Elphaba, I know I have. And I regret it, too."

At least he admitted it. Elphaba nodded as angrily as she could, and jabbed her finger at the cage containing all the poor monkeys."There you are! I'm setting those monkeys free, and if you know what's good for you, you won't interfere in any way or call your precious _guards-"_

"I'm not calling anyone."

Elphaba froze and turned to look at him suspiciously. Surely he was going to try to trick her now, but she was much too smart for that. Discreetly, she began getting into a fighting position, but once the guards came, with their guns, she was pretty much dead.

"The truth is I'm glad to see you again. It gets pretty lonely around here. And I know you must get lonely too."

_Yes, I do get lonely... _Elphaba wanted to admit, but her damn pride wouldn't let her. Besides, she had a wicked reputation to keep up and that was that. But inside, she felt she was starting to fall apart. Giving in to the Wizard sounded _so _appealing. To finally lie down, to rest, to feel cared for.

"You don't know the first thing about me," she snapped.

"Oh, but I do. I do know you, Elphaba. I can't explain it exactly. You know what I mean?"

Elphaba stared blankly at him. No, she didn't know what he meant. There was a small feeling in her gut, drawing her to him, making her feel connected to him somehow. But she ignored it. She knew nothing about this Wizard. Maybe he'd been hanging out with Glinda too much. Oh! Glinda was here! And Fiyero...

"Elphaba, you've been so strong through all of this, aren't you tired of being the strong one? Wouldn't you like someone to take care of you?"

Her body wanted her to. Her aching arms longed to lie on a bed with cool sheets. But her mind stood firm. Even as he handed her her broom back.

"Please, help me start again, Elphaba," the Wizard said in a pleading voice. And after so much work, exhaustion took over her emotions. She simply couldn't supress them anymore and cackle at everything. There was no real point to keeping up her wicked persona in front of the Wizard, who knew as well as she did, that she was _not _wicked.

"Don't you think I wish I could? That I could go back to the time when I believed you really were wonderful?" Her voice cracked slightly, so she turned away enough so her couldn't see her obviously upset face. Now her mask had completely fallen. "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz? Nobody believed in you more than I did!"

The Wizard approached her, and Elphaba jerked away from his reach. Why did he act so... fatherly at times, and then order the guards to come hurt her? She could trust no one. They all stabbed her in the back.

"Oh, my dear child," he said in a soft voice. "You must understand. I didn't ever ask for anything for this. I didn't plan it in advance. I used to live somewhere else... far, far away. What can I say? I got carried away. Not just by balloon, Elphaba."

Elphaba smirked.

"When I arrived, Oz simply called me wonderful! So I agreed to be wonderful. They only called me wonderful for they needed to believe in someone. And now here I am. I understand I became very... ambitious. Is that really so wrong? Just like your sister, Elphaba."

At hearing these words, Elphaba nearly slapped the Wizard, but that would surely call the guards and get her thrown in the Southstairs or the Palace Dungeon.

"Don't. You. Dare. Compare. Yourself. To. My. _Sister!" _Elphaba hissed menacingly. How dare he, an old fool comparing himself to her lovely little sister? It was just ridiculous, completely out of hand.

"Pardon me, Elphaba. I just wanted to give all the citizens what they wanted."

"So you lied to them!"

"Only verbally!"

Elphaba was now seriously beginning to consider slapping the Wizard because he was _pissing her off_, but he interrupted her again, looking pleading.

"But Elphaba, they could call you wonderful, isn't that what you wanted? Glinda told me of your dreams to be with me-together, wonderful!"

Elphaba's blood ran cold. So, that nasty little traitor was telling her private secrets to the Wizard, huh? She was absolutely going to _kill _Glinda when she got her hands on her curly blonde head. Never would she truat Glinda again, if it meant she had to go blab about it everybody.

"Why, that little back-stabbing-"

"Elphaba, please. Glinda's a good girl."

"A good girl my ass, her stupid brain is fried and she needs to learn how to keep her _mouth shut_-"

"She's certainly a bit self-centered, but everyone just loves her-"

"Ha! A bit self-centered! If the way she acts is a 'bit', then you're no better that her. And she does nothing other than complain and play with _rabbits-_"

"I think it's cute, although she is quite too old to be-"

"I don't like Glinda. I really don't."

Elphaba finished, breathing heavily, not having paid attention to a word the Wizard had said. Ugh. Getting into an argument about how self-centered Glinda was would get her nowhere.

"My dear," the Wizard said urgently, stepping closer to Elphaba, who was too busy fuming with her own self to stop him, "If you love Glinda so much (_and when did I say that, _Elphaba thought murderously) and your sister, than all of you can rule Oz together! You can be wonderful, my dear Elphaba! All the citizens will like you, as they should! There will be a celebration throughout all of Oz that's all to do with you!"

And Elphaba remembered her own promise to herself when she had entered Shiz. _I swear someday there'll be a celebration throughout all of Oz that's all to do with me! _It had to be fate that the Wizard had worded it just as she had, over a year ago. Her sweet, eighteen year old self. And now she was twenty. What a difference a year and a half had made.

And if she were to take the proposition? What if the Wizard was telling the truth? Her heart longed to be with Fiyero, and having Glinda run around doing ridiculous things. But then she remembered. This was their engagement party.

As in, Fiyero wasn't hers. He was Glinda's. She really had no right to be thinking of him at all. But if only she had the chance to see him... just one more time... and Glinda too, of course.

"Well, all right," Elphaba said softly. "Just... let those monkeys free. They didn't do anything."

The Wizard nodded, excitedly, and pulled a lever. A moment later, there was a blizzard of monkeys flying around the throne room. In her excitement, Elphaba ran to the nearest window and wrenched it open. Something good! Something _really _good; not like what had happened at Nessa's.

"Fly," she yelled, and the monkeys did pay attention to her and flew out the windows. "Fly, all of you! Chistery, you're free!" She squealed and ran to a monkey covered by a blanket. "Fly, you're free-Doctor Dillamond?"

"Elphaba," the Wizard explained nervously as he stepped forward. "We couldn't let him continue speaking out-"

But Elphaba was past listening to ridiculous excuses. Of course. She should have known. The Wizard was a fraud. He wasn't good. Anybody who could hurt her professor was wicked.

"Doctor Dillamond, are you alright?" He moved away from her touch. Just like Glinda did with fire or anything electric. That meant he was afraid of something. "Don't be afraid. It's me, Elphaba." She spoke softly, just as she did to her little Nessie after she had a nightmare.

"Bahhh."

Why wasn't he responding? His face was cut and his hooves were caked with blood.

"Doctor, don't you remember me?" He had to remember her! She was the only one that actually did the homework! Well, Nessarose and Glinda did the homework too, but Nessarose never participated in class and Glinda had some very interesting essays. Interesting meaning bad and pointless.

"Bahhh."

A sudden memory returned to Elphaba.

* * *

"So, you're saying that there are animals that have, somehow, forgotten how to speak? But how is that possible?" Elphaba had asked in confusion, pushing her glasses which had been slipping off her nose. Her kind, wise teacher had looked around the room nervously, before leaning in and whispering to Elphaba.

"Well, with so much pressure not to..."

And at that precise moment Madame Morrible had chosen to make an appearance.

* * *

A sudden, horrible theory appeared in Elphaba's mind. Dreading the answer, she asked, "Can't you speak?"

"Bahhh."

Well, that in itself was the answer. How dare the Wizard, the miserable old fool, treat her dear professor this way? Elphaba whipped around to face him, with cold fury.

"No. We have nothing in common. I am nothing like you and I never will be. I'm going to fight you until the day I die!"

And of course, she had just screwed up any chances of being able to successfully find Fiyero. The Wizard called his idiot guards. In a panic, Elphaba grabbed her broom and was just about to jump out of the way and probably accidentally commit suicide while doing so, when the guards showed up, pointing guns at her.

"Halt," one of the guards snarled at her, startling her as the gun was looking straight at her. And there, next to the guard-

"Are you alright, your Ozness?"

_"Fiyero!"_

Elphaba's eyes widened. What was Fiyero doing with the guard? Probably trying to protect her, that idiot boy she loved. She began smiling, until she noticed the way he held his gun. He wasn't pointing it quite at her, but he held it in a manner which suggested he might.

"Silence witch!" he snapped at her, and she felt her heart throb painfully. Already, she felt weak and exhausted, but now with Fiyero... calling her a witch? No. Not possible. Fiyero didn't think she was a witch. Fiyero loved her. Right?

Elphaba swore that the only thing keeping her from sobbing right then was that Fiyero still had a sparkle, however dim it might be, in his eyes. And he wasn't pointing the gun at her. But the moment he pointed a gun, or any weapon at her, she was quite literally going to lose her mind because she trusted him too much. He couldn't hurt her. He couldn't. No. Not after that night... that night before Elphaba had gone to the Emerald City and they had shared a conversation under a tree... with a kiss. Glinda, Galinda then, had been straightening her hair inside the dorm, completely convinced that Fiyero was buying her chocolates and Elphaba was at the library.

"Uh, fetch me some, some water." Fiyero said to his guard, not taking his eyes off of her. Elphaba stood against the wall, feeling petrified. She'd heard rumors that water could melt her, and she had neither denied or confirmed these. It didn't really matter what they thought. But it did matter what Fiyero thought. He couldn't think that she could possibly melt, could he? That would be beyong stupid. Fiyero wasn't even blond.

"Fiyero," Elphaba began, her eyes begging for mercy and love, once the guards had left. But he simply shook his head and pointed the gun at the Wizard, who very cowardly had been hiding behind his stupid head.

"No! No!" the Wizard squealed like a little boy caught in wrongdoing. Elphaba breathed a sigh of relief as Fiyero pointed the gun at the Wizard. It wasn't just relief; it was joy, utter joy that Fiyero wasn't going to harm her after all.

"Don't make a sound, your Ozness, unless you want all your guests to know the truth about the Wonderful Wizard of Oz." Fiyero spat at the Wizard, who nodded quickly. Fiyero then turned to face Elphaba. "Elphaba, I'll find Doctor Dillamond later, now get out of here."

_But I can't, _Elphaba wanted to tell him. Couldn't he see? The reason she had come was because she wanted to be able to touch him one more time, to hold him...

"Fiyero, you frightened me. I thought, I though you might have changed."

Their eyes met for one moment. Sparkling light brown to terrified dark brown. Even without her glasses (actually, Elphaba understood what Glinda had said about glasses. You didn't need them if you could navigate by color) she could still tell every feature of his face was exactly the same as she had left it a year ago. Only now, they were sagged with pain.

"I have changed." he said simply as they stared at each other for an eternal moment-

"What's going on?"

_Damnit to hell, Glinda! You have perfect timing, as usual, _Elphaba thought, as her brief connection was broken with Fiyero. But she couldn't deny the sense of happiness welling up in her. Glinda. After so long, her stupid blonde roommate. Looking as magnificent as ever, with the blonde curls piled into a bun and a thin figure in a beautiful pale green dress. Of course, you probably couldn't run or even breathe in a dress like that, but that was Glinda.

"Elphie? Oh, thank Oz you're alive!" Glinda rushed forwards and hugged Elphaba, who hugged her back just as tightly. She could smell that syupid strawberry perfume radiating from Glinda, but she didn't care. Had Glinda always been so _small? _And had her voice always had that annoying, screechy quality to it?

"Only you shouldn't have come. If anyone discoverates you..."

And still making up words. Glinda had quite an interesting vocabulary when she was nervous. They hugged each other, tightly, Glinda babbling about completely irrelevant things and Elphaba simply standing there in surprise, until Fiyero cleared his throat.

"Glinda, you'd better go."

Elphaba and Glinda both gasped lightly. For the first time, Elphaba noticed identical rings in Glinda and Fiyero's hands. Both rings were the same, only Glinda's had a pink stone and Fiyero's had a green one, the same color as his uniform.

"Fiyero," Glinda whispered from her side. Elphaba put her arms around her comfortingly, but Glinda shook them off. "What are you-"

"Please, just go back to the ball." Fiyero said, his face looking slightly upset, but determined. It amazed Elphaba that Fiyero was looking at _her _when Glinda was in the room. No one would ever look at her, a hideous, scratched up wicked witch, when there was Glinda, a beautiful blonde with pretty dresses and makeup and sparkles and the usual Glinda stuff.

"Your Ozness, he means no disrespectation." Glinda had now run to the Wizard and was pleading. And still making up words. "Uh, direspectatable... disrespect... disrespect! Please understand! You see, we all went to school together!"

"Really? Who would've guessed?" Elphaba muttered, rolling her eyes as Glinda continued speaking, her speech now getting almost incomprehensible. In fact, when Glinda was very nervous, nobody could understand her except for Elphaba, and that was because Elphaba had quite a talent for deciphering things. Elphaba still questioned herself about why she understood Glinda, sometimes.

"Elphaba!" Fiyero said, running to her side and grabbing her hand. Glinda stared at them in shock from the other side of the room.

"Fiyero, have you misplaced your mind? What are you doing?" she asked, almost begging him to stay with her. And with a hint of drama. She stomped one of her tiny feet and crossed her arms like a child throwing a tantrum. Elphaba almost laughed, had the situation not been so heart-breaking. But Fiyero's response was simply to tear his gaze away from Elphaba, looking apologetic.

"I'm going with her."

Both Elphaba and Glinda's mouths dropped open.

"What?" Glinda asked, clearly looking broken.

"_What?" _Elphaba asked, unsure if she had heard correctly. Fiyero gave her an annoyed glance, but then returned his eyes to Glinda, who was barely now beginning to comprehend what was going on. Well, Elphaba could come up with a string of comments regarding Glinda's stupidness, but she wasn't one to judge right now.

"What? What are you saying?" Glinda looked at both of them, her jaw dropping in disbelief. "You mean all this time, the two of you... behind my back-"

"No, Glinda it wasn't like that!" Elphaba said desperately, feeling as if she were melting under Glinda's shocked and heartbroken gaze. Elphaba wanted very much to turn away and not look at Glinda, but those wide gray eyes mingled with betrayal held her.

"Actually, it was," Fiyero said. The boy was kind-hearted, yes, but he was _stupid_. Elphaba slapped his arm, while Glinda continued staring at them. Fiyero looked guiltily at Elphaba, and in a very obvious way that he was lying, he added, "but it wasn't... Elphaba, let's go!"

Elphaba wanted to run to Glinda, hug her, and tell her that Fiyero was lying, but as thick-headed as Fiyero was, he was right. Elphaba held her hand out to Glinda who had only paled ever since the revelation, with no sign of moving. But Fiyero quickly grabbed Elphaba's arm and began pulling her. Elphaba ran with him, her last sight being Glinda standing there, looking so terribly hurt, looking after them both.


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter 29**

**Disclaimer: Don't own Wicked.**

**A/N: So... Let me just say straight out, this chapter contains one-sided Glinda/Nessarose. If you don't like it, then don't read it. I do recommend reading the last paragraph, though, because it sort of sets up the next scene... It's okay, the plot isn't going to be ruined or anything. This is just an excuse for me to torture Wicked characters more. I love dark. I absolutely love dark. There is nothing funner than to break Glinda's heart, and anyone else who might happen to be with her. xD Also, on another note, I've decided to make the legal age of Oz twenty-one. Just to make stuff more complicated for everyone. Please r&r! Oh, and major Fiyeraba up next chapter! As Long As You're Mine scene! :D**

**Sugar cookies for:**

**JCBoLt**

**ComingAndGoingByBubble**

**musicalvampirelove**

**Silver Wolf 626**

**And a special thanks to TheWitch'sDorothy for giving me the idea for this chappie/beta-ing this chappie! She's a wonderfultastic writer! :D **

* * *

It was sunset.

Nessarose Thropp stood at the door at the back of the mansion. The Governor's Mansion, they called it. They said it was haunted, too. Nessarose herself had yet to feel a thing. Occasionally, she did feel a sudden chill to her bones, but it wasn't anything else.

The last rays of the red sun dipped under the trees, leaving Nessarose in a darkness even scarier than the blackness of midnight. It was the psychological scare, Nessarose was sure. She had the capacity of feeling just as frightened if the sun were high in the sky. But the dread of sunset brought on the fear.

"Boq," Nessarose whispered to herself. "Boq. Boq. I'm so sorry." And she was sorry. More sorry than ever. But she was past blaming everyone else, because at the center of it all, she was the true problem. She had caused it all. And she couldn't fix it.

Where was Elphaba now, when she needed her? A surge of anger ripped through her heart, but left just as quickly as it had come. She couldn't blame Elphaba. Her anger was totally unsupported by the rest of her. She was mad at herself, for not letting go, for obsessing over someone who wasn't hers to have. Boq loved someone else. She would have to remember that. But she had no intention of living to remember it.

"Glinda, I'm sorry," Nessarose muttered, clasping her hands together as she ducked her head, refusing to see any more of the darkness outside. Why had she taken Boq from Glinda? True, Glinda didn't love Boq, but Boq should've had a chance to try and persuade Glinda to marry him. Maybe Glinda would've found happiness with Boq. And what would Nessarose do?

"And what's your brilliant plan?" she snapped at herself. If Glinda were to stay with Boq, she'd be left for no one. And what shocked her... it hurt her just as much that Glinda was out of her reach as the fact that Boq was gone. Everyone was leaving her. Elphaba, Boq, and even Glinda, sweet, lovable Glinda had been acting nervously around her during their few encounters. Every week, Glinda secretly visited her. That was when Nessarose 'accidentally' happened to send Boq out. It wasn't just that she didn't want Boq to see Glinda. She didn't want Glinda to see Boq.

"Oh, why?" Nessarose moaned, closing her eyes and turning away from the door. What was there left to see anyway? Only the darkness. And she had enough darkness in her heart. Truthfully, the only light in her life was Boq. And on those few days, Glinda. Her best friend.

Slowly, she made her way to her bedroom. Her bedroom. Father's bedroom. Her father. People said she had killed her father. Even Fabala believed it! It hurt her so much.

With her shaking hand, she opened her wardrobe. There, amidst her black clothing, was her Shiz dress. Not the beautiful one Glinda had given her. Her original one. The white, simple one. Didn't white stand for innocence?

She changed out of the black dress, putting on the white dress. It still fit. And turning to the mirror, she let down her hair. Once again, waves of caramel hair fell. She truly looked innocent. But images lied. They always lied.

Nessarose turned away from the mirror. She didn't want to talk to the girl in the mirror. Instead, she looked down. Her tights. Her shoes. Clashing, but they marked her. Black and white. Just like her. With a sprinkle of red.

"It doesn't matter. I can't live with what I've done. It doesn't matter."

Nessarose took a deep breath, to stop the emotions flowing through her. There really was no point to it anyway. She was going to die. Alone.

"It does matter."

Nessarose gasped, opening her eyes to make sure her ears weren't playing tricks on her. In a moment, she whirled around, and standing there, in front of her, was Glinda. So Glinda _had_ come after all.

Glinda. In a pale green dress and bun. The similarities struck her. This wasn't the same Glinda. The Glinda she knew would never wear a bun. Nessarose herself didn't like buns. She had only worn one for political reasons. Glinda was her own self, reflected in front of her.

"Does it? Does it really matter, Glinda?"

Nessarose stepped forward, closing the distance. Just as she did so, Glinda took a step back. Suspiciously, Nessarose searched Glinda's eyes. And she found fear.

"Oh. So you're scared of me! Just like everyone else! Why, Glinda? You're , what, a year older than me? Two? You can walk without the shoes. Yes, these shoes enable me to walk. You have everything, Your Goodness. So why would you fear me?"

Nessarose stepped forward, her face turning red slowly. Everyone abandoned her! Even Glinda!

But Glinda's reaction wasn't what she suspected. Instead of stepping back, she stuck her chin up.

"Don't judge, Nessa. When people believe rumors, then we'll all end up nowhere. You should know that."

Nessarose did know that. But Glinda didn't. Glinda was 'the Good witch'. She had no nasty rumors spreading about her like wildfires. But Nessarose herself, and Elphaba... they _did _actually understand the meaning of that. They were both the 'wicked' witches. She took a deep breath, clenching her fists. The last thing she wanted was to get into a fight with Glinda.

"Why did you come, then?" Nessarose asked at last. That was all she wanted to know. Why had Glinda come, after the news that Boq had died?

"To see. To look. I _do_ think. I realize both you and Elphie have... a misunderstanding that I can't think, but I can."

Twisted answers. What was the overall point?

"Stop speaking in riddles, Glinda. Or was Elphaba right about you? Is your brain _really_ fried? Why'd she think that anyway?"

As soon as she said it, Nessarose felt awful. Why was she being so mean? She had no reason to. And yet, the fact that Glinda had simply waltzed in at a time when she was hurting had set her off. Was Glinda coming to hurt her further? Is that all she wanted to do, call her a witch and leave?

Nessarose's words had a larger effect than she planned. Glinda's face didn't fall visibly, but she saw the pain in her gray eyes. Glinda simply watched her and took another step back.

"I'm sorry, Glinda, I... I'm sorry. I don't know what I'm doing. But I'm just so confused. They all think I'm wicked, and I am, but everyone has left me here, I just... I don't know what to do. Even you're scared of me."

Nessarose's voice cracked at the last word, and she turned away to wipe a falling tear. A moment later, a cold hand wiped it for her. Nessarose looked in surprise at Glinda's hand, complete with the scent of strawberries coming off of it and sparkling green nails.

"It's okay to be scared, Nessa. I'm scared too."

And Nessarose didn't know what happened, but she found herself sobbing in Glinda's arms. She had to duck her head, because they were both the same height, but she still fit perfectly. And Glinda was there, running her hand through her hair. Although Glinda's hands were colder than ice, Nessarose didn't mind. In fact, she loved Glinda's hands right then. They were the only thing that touched her, held no fear.

"I can't say everything's going to be alright, Nessa, but I know something's going to change. It isn't going to stay this way for forever."

Nessarose's strangled sobs subsided, and after a moment, she pushed herself away from Glinda. What did Glinda know?

"You can't tell me that, Glinda 'the Good'. You have a perfect life. You're off with Fiyero at the Emerald City-"

But Glinda's face suddenly stopped Nessarose. It was frightening. It was a smile, but a sort of twisted smile. Nessarose suddenly found herself stepping back as Glinda stepped forward, taking one of Nessarose's own warm hands into Glinda's frozen one.

"Fiyero's gone. He left with Elphie. They're all gone, Nessa. We're the only ones left now."

Uncomfortably, Nessarose tried to free her hands, but Glinda had a tight grip on them. She continued to pull her hands back, but Glinda simply wasn't letting go.

And what was this news about Fiyero? Why had Fiyero left Glinda? There was no reason for him to...

"Glinda, what...?"

Nessarose trailed off as she looked into Glinda's eyes, really looked into them. They held bits of pain, but it seemed to be masked. Her eyes were glazed over with a strange light. She looked almost... wicked.

"Nessie, Elphie left us. She doesn't care. None of them do. None of them cared then and they won't ever care."

Now Nessarose really was getting nervous. She didn't know what Glinda was talking about, but she wanted to have her hands free.

"Let go of me. Please. Glinda, now."

The spell broke and Glinda suddenly let go of her and stepped back. Nessarose waited for Glinda to say something, but Glinda simply stated back at Nessarose with her eyes big.

"We're... we're friends, we can agree on that much, and as friends, we need to discuss what's happened as of late."

Nessarose awkwardly sat down on the couch touching the wall. The light was almost completely gone, but still there to reflect off of Glinda's eyes.

Glinda slowly sat next to Nessarose. Nessarose waited for a few seconds, but Glinda didn't seem to be in the mood to talk.

"So why did Fiyero leave? What happened?"

A few moments of silence.

"Elphie crashed our engagement ball. And so he saw her and left. That part doesn't really matter though, right, Nessa? Tell me... what did happen to Biq?"

And she still didn't get his name right. She never had and she never would "It's Boq," Nessarose hissed, turning away to blink back tears. "It's Boq. He loves you, that's all. He loves you and you never gave him the time of the day to even look at him! It's all your fault, Glinda! And don't think that I don't know why he asked me to the dance! I was too simple-minded to see it before, but I know what happened. You didn't want to go with him. So you told him to ask me! How does this make you feel?"

Angry from her outburst, Nessarose whirled around to face Glinda, who simply continued to watch her. "Are you finished?" she asked quietly, looking down at her lap at long last. Nessarose, too enraged to say another word, simply nodded.

"What can I say? You're right. Of course you're right, you always were the smart one. But don't ask me to share my feelings on that matter. I'm done with speaking my mind. All it ever does is get you..."

Nessarose pushed her hair out of her face. Couldn't Glinda stop speaking in riddles for once? "What do you mean? You're Glinda the Good. You should like your superiors, they're the reason why you are where you are now!"

And Glinda closed her eyes. "I don't have to like them," she whispered. "Like you said, they're my superiors. I think superiors means that they have authority over me. And they do."

They both sat there, breathing shallowly for a while, until Nessarose slowly reached over to Glinda's hair, where a crown sat. Gently, she took the crown off and took the pins out of Glinda's hair. A moment later, shoulder length blonde curls tumbled down, making Glinda look like a child once again.

"Thank you," Glinda muttered, rubbing her temple. "It's not a pleasant feeling. But it makes me look good."

"You always look fine, Glinda," Nessarose whispered, tilting her head to look into Glinda's eyes again. And just like before, she still had that crazed look in her eyes, but with much more clarity. Suddenly, Glinda sat up straight and turned to look at Nessarose.

"Kiss me, Nessarose."

_Out of the blue._

Nessarose felt all of her breath leave her. What? No. No! What was Glinda saying? "N-what? I-I mean, we can't... You can't... What?"

Glinda simply leaned in slightly, one small tear falling out of her eye.

"Kiss me."

And Nessarose did.

She didn't understand what was going on. Nessarose had never kissed anyone. Boq didn't kiss her. She was a virgin, a lip virgin too. And she had planned to stay that way forever.

So why was she kissing Glinda?

Glinda's lips were soft, with the taste of strawberry gloss all over them. Her breath was just as cold as the rest of her body.

_No,_ Nessarose though. _No. This can't be. Why am I doing this? I shouldn't be doing this! It's wrong. Glinda's just confused, she doesn't know what she's saying, she needs help. I-I'm taking advantage of her. What am I doing?_

And yet, she couldn't stop.

It wasn't until she had to breathe that Nessarose broke apart, gasping wildly as she struggled to understand what had just happened. For a few seconds, she breathed until she got her courage back. Then, she slowly looked over at Glinda.

Glinda looked simply elated. Her face was a complete smile, her makeup all smeared. But she looked utterly happy. And Nessarose felt anything but happy. What had she just done?!

"Glinda," she said slowly, still gasping for air. "Glinda, did you drink alcohol before you came? Are you feeling alright? You've taken all your medications?"

And just like that, Glinda's smile vanished.

"That's the problem," Glinda hissed, trembling slightly. "You're never sure of what I do. I don't drink! I'm underage. Everything I do is either a result of me being stupid or the amount of medications I take. Why is it so hard to believe that I'm a human too? I do feel, Nessa! I feel! Elphie obviously never loved me! Whenever I tried to get into bed with her at night, she would simply say I was tired and put me in my bed! When I tried to kiss Fiyero, he would simply leave me alone in my room without a warning! They both left me, and I loved them! I loved them both! So today, when they both left... I asked the Wizard to get you. If he got you, you and I could be together, and you wouldn't ever leave me! Never!"

Nessarose could barely get all the new information through her mind. But in a way, she understood Glinda's actions. After all, hadn't Nessarose herself forced Boq to stay with her?

And through it all... Nessarose could still not be sure it was she who Glinda loved. After all, Glinda had lost Fiyero just hours before... It was her delusional thinking. Glinda needed to go see a counselor, if she was really hurt enough to come to her, the Wicked Witch of the East, in search for love.

"I love you, Nessa. And I want to stay with you."

It cracked Nessarose's heart to hear that. Because after that kiss... Nessarose wanted to say the same thing. But... did she _really_? She loved Boq. What exactly did she feel for Glinda?

"No, Glinda, please. Don't do this to me. I don't... I can't... No."

And Nessarose was forced to watch as Glinda's face finally crumpled, and she turned away. She had to watch Glinda's shoulders shake in grief. For one horrible minute, Nessarose watched her get smacked with a new rejection. She wanted to say yes. She wanted to take Glinda, to hug her, to hold her, to kiss her, but she couldn't. She didn't really love Glinda. But she did want to please Glinda. And she would please her, make her happy, when she was sure Glinda was well mentally, and she truly loved her, to make sure she wasn't just someone Glinda could turn to to dull the pain from Fiyero.

"You don't love me either. I understand. It's because something's wrong with me. I'm fat or something."

Glinda was a pile of bones, to the point where it wasn't attractive. But Nessarose didn't want to tell Glinda that. She couldn't. So instead, she found her voice and said, "No. You're beautiful. And... I love you too." _Forgive me_, Nessarose begged, inside her mind. _I'm not trying to play with her feelings, but she just seems so lost..._

Glinda's eyes widened. "You do?" she whispered.

Nessarose nodded. "I do," she whispered back, fighting the guilt roaring in her head. And this time, when Glinda leaned in, Nessarose don't fight it. She simply accepted it. And she tried to enjoy it.

But the guilt remained.

* * *

"Oh, Nessa. It's late, the Wizard will be suspicious... But I'll come tomorrow. I love you."

Nessarose nodded weakly. What else could she say? For the past hour, she and Glinda had eaten popcorn on the couch. At first, neither of them had touched the popcorn, but after they were relaxed, they realized that neither of them had been eating properly. They had then stuffed their faces and begun alternating between kissing and trying the bubble spell. Neither of them was nearly as powerful as Elphaba, but it was still something. Still, Glinda's moods was swinging all over the place, and this still worried Nessarose. She was going to see that Glinda would take it easy and rest.

"Do come," she found herself saying. "The weather seems to be getting bad anyway. I'll see you tomorrow, my Glinda." The weather actually _was _getting bad. In a short time, the sky had turned nearly black with clouds, and rain poured over the house.

Glinda smiled. It wasn't her normal smile, but it was enough. "I hear there's a ghost here. Maybe we'll find it."

"Maybe," Nessarose whispered, closing the door. The moment she was sure Glinda was out of earshot, she collapsed on her bed and covered her face.

She hadn't written to Glinda in a search for love. She'd written to her in search of a friend-and _only _a friend. She loved Boq. Glinda was beautiful, yes, but Nessarose didn't love her. And she would not take advantage of Glinda. She herself had lost Boq very recently... and Glinda would not be simply her second choice, someone she could kiss, imagining Boq instead. And she would not be Glinda's second choice. Glinda had seemed sincere when she had admitted her love, but Nessarose simply couldn't believe it. Glinda had been completely head-over-heels for Fiyero every other time.

No, Glinda couldn't love her. It wasn't possible. She was just looking for someone to be able to kiss, since she had no Fiyero anymore. Glinda probably wasn't doing it on purpose, with no conscious thought of hurting anyone. But Nessarose could see through the delusions, and she knew the truth. Always, Nessarose had had excellent morals. And the fact that she had just been with Glinda made the desperation inside her surge. Glinda's visit hadn't made her feel better; it had made her feel much worse. Because now, she was guilty of messing with a person's feelings. She had made Glinda happy, yes, but Glinda hadn't been acting entirely normal. In fact, Nessarose had still not ruled out the fact that Glinda might have been completely high on alcohol. She had seemed sober enough, but still very strange.

Why had Nessarose done it? She shouldn't have kissed Glinda! She didn't love Glinda... and there was a possibility that Glinda didn't actually love her.

What had she done?

Inexcusable. She really had no right to... be alive.


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter 30 (Fiyerabafied chapter)**

**A/N: Guys... it's been forever, and I'm so, so sorry. I'm evil, I know! I tried to update, but... I don't know what happened. I suck at romance scenes, and therefore, you get this suckish chapter as a result. Review anyway to make me feel nice inside though. Please? :D**

**Sugar cookies for:**

**JCBoLt**

**ComingAndGoingByBubble**

**musicalvampirelove**

**Desert-Viper**

**Thanks you all so much for reviewing! And, a sugar cookies with sprinkles on it for Silver Wolf 626 for being awesome! ;) I hope you enjoy this.**

* * *

_"I'll come with you, Elphie!"_

_Elphaba cringed; she'd been with Galinda the whole damn afternoon and the room reeked of strawberries. She'd learned the hard way that Galinda had no tolerance of any scent except for that OzDust strawberry smell. And Elphaba could take any scent _except_ for that smell. Predictably, Galinda had won the stupid argument and Elphaba was left opening her window and trying to breathe._

_"No, Galinda, you don't need to come to the library with me. I've only got a little bit to go until I need to leave to the Emerald City and I really need to do some research-"_

_But she broke off seeing Galinda completely ignoring her as she piled on layers of make-up. Elphaba's mouth dropped open in shock; she'd never met anyone quite as ignorant and stupid as Galinda. It was simply astounding, the way Galinda behaved, but Elphaba had better things to do than go around arguing with blondes._

_"I'm going, Elphie!" Galinda announced, plugging in her hair straightener. Elphaba, in response, unplugged the hair straightener and walked to the door, blocking all the high-pitched wailing._

_"Stop acting like a child. You have no business in the library. Last time I took you, we got kicked out, remember? You'll stay here and do whatever you want."_

_She turned on her heel and pulled open the door, just as Galinda grabbed her hand and looked very prepared to go out with her._

_"I'm coming," she said matter-of-factly, tossing her hair. At that point, Elphaba lost her patience and pushed Galinda away._

_"The_ hell_ you are," she hissed, knowing that she could be nicer, but Galinda had been unusually clingy for the length of the day, refusing to even leave Elphaba's side for a moment._

_"Don't leave!" Galinda whispered, in a panicked voice, and Elphaba just turned around and walked out the door._

_Enough was enough. Taking twenty minutes to leave was just ridiculous. Annoyed, she walked as fast as she could to the library, clutching her bag and not paying attention to where in particular she was going. Right before she entered the library, she was stopped when someone called her name from behind._

_"What?" she yelled, not in the mood to endure anymore taunting of any kind. When she saw that Winkie Prince, her anger escalated; she still was unwilling to admit that he could bake better than her. If he were intelligent, and valued his life, then he would've turned right back around and gotten out of her sight, but unfortunately, the boy didn't use his brain._

_Elphaba could hardly believe she had suspected she might have held even slight feelings of attractions towards him. It was impossible for anyone to like someone so stupid… well, except for Galinda, but she was impossibly stupid too._

_"Elphaba! I just wanted to congratulate you; you're off the see the Wizard and all that. I knew you were smart enough for that."_

_Cautiously, Elphaba regarded him with a frown, hoping that he could drop the act and go annoy someone else. Preferably Galinda, because Elphaba was just now beginning to feel the sting of conscience at leaving her stupid blonde roommate by herself. Fiyero's face fell slightly and Elphaba smirked, pleased. He obviously suspected by now that she was cross, and he'd go waste his time. She turned away to walk into the library, until she felt his hand in hers._

_The warm tingle from before began washing through her palm and she almost began sweating. Looking into his eyes, she was once again nearly distracted. His eyes were sort of the color of caramel, but what frightened her the most was that she actually had cared to look into the eyes of someone long enough to tell the color. Elphaba hardly cared about a person's features, as long as they didn't bother her. She'd lived with Nessarose for fifteen and a half years, long enough to know that Nessarose's eyes were identical to hers, and as Elphaba remembered, mother's eyes, too. But she didn't care about anyone else's eyes, including Galinda (some shade of gray or something). And in just a moment, Fiyero's eyes had just been added to her miniscule list of beautiful sights. The heat rose to her cheeks and she shook her hand free, noticing the way Fiyero's lips fell slightly at the corners._

_"I just wanted to give you a cupcake… for luck, you know? Tomorrow will be great. All of Oz will finally know you as you are."_

_And he held out a green cupcake with a black, pointed hat on top. With trembling fingers, Elphaba reached out and grabbed it. The fact that he had baked it for her touched her heart in a strange way. Elphaba had always distanced herself from love; it just got you involved in a drama with no end. But that cupcake meant so much to her; her face softened and she looked down at the cupcake, letting her scowl disappear._

_"I-I-thank you. Really. No one's ever… I mean, they haven't…"_

_"You're welcome."_

_She tried to think of something to do; she wasn't much of a smiling person. She ended up just offering a sort of weak grin that looked like a grimace. But Fiyero just shook his head, chuckling._

_"You don't have to pretend to smile for me, Elphaba. It's okay. I'll go now, if you want."_

_But she found that she didn't want him to go. "No. No. I don't want that," she said, tucking a stray piece of hair behind her ear. In her rush, she'd forgotten to do a braid. And her glasses were in her bag. She was fully prepared to just forget about being social and go into a reading sulk, as Galinda called it, but Fiyero pointed to a tree._

_"If you don't want me to go, then how about we have a picnic under that tree?"_

_Elphaba noticed then that he had a picnic bag in one of his hands. And she realized her stomach was growling; it had been impossible to even think of food while Galinda was having a spraying spree of that strawberry perfume. But now that her head was clear... she hadn't eaten all day. An aroma reached her nose, and she guessed her face must have shown her hunger, because Fiyero smiled at her, and began walking towards the tree. He spread a blanket on the ground, and she awkwardly watched. She was no good at interacting with other species. Hell, she was no good at interacting with her own species._

_"I brought bread... and avocado sandwiches for the vegetarian."_

_Her frown deepened. "You remembered that?" she asked softly, feeling guilt well up in her. She had been so nasty. He had deserved it, but he could be a good person every so often._

_"I did."_

_And he handed her a sandwich with wheat bread. He had even nailed that; wheat bread was much healthier than white bread. Cheddar cheese, her favorite, was stacked inside the sandwich with avocado. Hesitantly, she took a small bite out of it, and her eyes widened. The boy wasn't completely stupid after all. Closing her eyes, she began to eat it quicker, because her stomach was begging for it. After she finished it, she noticed him watching her with amused eyes, and she felt a familiar blush creep to her cheeks. "Wha'? she demanded, forgetting to swallow in the process._

_"Nothing. It's just... you must be hungry. Here, have another. I have a lot," he said, handing her another and taking out a plate with little sandwiches stacked on top. There were egg salad sandwiches and peanut butter and jelly. She took it, gratefully, before swallowing and taking a much smaller bite._

_"Thank you," she muttered. "Really. I appreciate it. I knew you weren't as stupid as everyone thought you were."_

_Fiyero snorted. "Well, gee, thanks for the compliment."_

_"You're very welcome," Elphaba answered, eyeing a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Fiyero simply chuckled and handed it to her, where she began eating it._

_"Do you ever eat? You're so skinny."_

_Elphaba shrugged, chewing thoroughly. She was pretty sure her small intestine and valves would appreciate it later._

_"I do eat," she muttered, tasting the sandwich. It was so good._

_"Well, if you say so."_

_"I do say so."_

_They sat there in silence for a few minutes. When Elphaba finished, she wiped her hands on her frock (she had no patience for formalities) and looked at Fiyero with a frown._

_"What are you doing?" she asked, putting on her glasses to better study his face._

_"Thinking," he simply said, staring straight ahead. Elphaba rolled her eyes._

_"That _is_ a problem. Thinking is never a good sign."_

_She continued frowning at him, but strangely enough, not out of anger or annoyance. Simply because that was the way she looked at people. Suddenly, she felt a rush of adrenaline course through her body. On a limb, she asked: "Why aren't you with Galinda?"_

_Yes, that certainly was unexpected. He suddenly blinked, and looked down, biting his lip. Elphaba recognized the expression on his face, which was apprehension._

_"She's very sweet. I like her a lot, but... I don't know."_

_Hmm. Well, Galinda wasn't going to like _that_. She pursed her lips and turned away, until she felt his hand on her arm. She snapped her eyes back to glare at him, but he didn't let go. Interesting. Most people she knew wouldn't even touch her._

_"You've been appearing in my dreams lately," he said, staring into her soul. Elphaba felt butterflies in her stomach (_what the hell is wrong with me?_ she thought) and she continued glaring at him._

_"Fascinating," she said, dryly. But in truth, her head was turning. Why had he dreamed of her?_

_"You are," he said, leaning even closer._

_And then she leaned in closer._

_And suddenly, their lips were connected. She didn't quite know how-but it was true. They were kissing. She expected that she'd never kiss anyone, looking the way she did, and it was so completely unexpected that she wasn't sure how to react at first. A myriad of thoughts ran through her mind._

I should punch him, slap him, kick him, bite him..._ and on the other hand, some strange thoughts also mixed in with her other thoughts, confusing her and leaving her unable to decide what to do_. Oh, this feels good, I've never felt this way before, I feel loved and I feel stupid...

_And just like that, she missed her chance. Fiyero suddenly pulled back, looking slightly worried, but he still had a smile on his stupid face. But Elphaba couldn't smile. Fiyero was dating Galinda, so what the hell was he doing, kissing her? Was he planning on just kissing her and then breaking Galinda's heart? He was a player! Furiously, she got up and stormed away, almost feeling a lump at the back of her throat; but she was Elphaba Thropp, and she didn't cry._

* * *

That day played itself over and over like a DVD player stuck on a replay loop in Elphaba's head. Though her frown was still intact- but then again, it would most likely never leave, considering what she'd been through in the past year and a half- she felt strangely at ease, effortlessly calm with Fiyero beside her. Almost as if hyperaware, she could feel her furrowed brow relaxing, her mouth no longer pulled down at the corners. What a year and a half had brought on, Fiyero was dissolving in just a few hours. It was magical. And it was perplexing.

"Holding on, Fae?" Fiyero asked gently, looking over at her with an expression full of love. Her frown came back; but it wasn't out of worry or fear. It was out of confusion. She was still unsure if the whole situation was real or not. Had it really been twenty-four hours since she had crashed Glinda's engagement party? Only twenty-four hours since Fiyero had chosen her over Glinda? Impossible.

"I'm fine," she replied, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and marching forward. In all honesty, her feet were giant sores. And if her touch sensor wasn't lying, then she was bleeding. But she wasn't concerned; she was with Fiyero. The thought made her slightly giddy, and she laughed quietly, feeling Fiyero's eyes on her. He turned towards her and grabbed her hand with a gentle squeeze.

"You're not," he said with a concerned expression.

"I am," she said defiantly, quickening her pace. Her feet didn't like that.

"You're not," he interrupted her, stepping in front of her.

"I am," she snapped, trying to step around him.

"You're not," he insisted, and by that point, Elphaba wanted to open up and see if there was a brain in that empty head of his. She wouldn't be surprised if there was none.

"But I am!" Elphaba said simply, pushing him aside and continuing to walk. She heard Fiyero sigh as he caught up with her. A smirk played on her lips as he grabbed her hand again.

"We need to stop, regardless of whether you're fine or not. The weather is getting worse."

In defeat, she sighed; she could try to keep on going as much as she can, but the weather was against her. She set the things she was carrying down as Fiyero checked the area, lighting the way with his oil lamp. Apparently there was nothing in the are, because as he approached her, they stared into each other's eyes. As well as she could, Elphaba motioned to the empty spot next to her, waiting to be filled.

And then he joined her.

At first, Elphaba was unsure of what to do or say. She was intelligent when it came to academics; never anything below a ninety seven. She could name the Periodic Table in order. Alphabetically. By hardness of the element. She could solve a complicated math problem that half the people at Shiz couldn't even do with a calculator and a pencil in her head within seconds.

But she could not, for the life of her, predict what would happen in a situation like the one she was in now. Thank goodness the boy took the initiative for once and kneeled in front of her, wrapping his arms around her waist. Her frown disappeared completely then, and the only thing she was aware of was how he was holding her, how she fit in his arms, how warm his hands were, in contrast to the furious winds ripping around her and him at frightening speeds. Almost subconsciously, she leaned closer towards him, resting her arms on his shoulders and staring in wonder as he held her tighter.

Could he possibly love her? It was a song of fantasy in her mind; she couldn't fathom the idea that he could actually love her. What was love, anyway? She began breathing quickly, as he pressed his lips against hers. They were so soft, warm, and gentle. She'd never kissed anyone before, besides that very brief time their lips had met a year and a half ago. To her surprise, she didn't even have to think about the way her lips were positioned. They just were in motion with his. A simple kiss meant so much to her, and in her surprise, she pulled back, looking down and breathing shallowly.

"Kiss me, Fiyero. Hold me. Is this real?"

It was real. It had to be. So much had gone wrong in her life, and these were her only moments of happiness, things she cherished and adored, to fill the absence of everything that was wrong and empty. Unfortunately, the line between emptiness and fullness was blurred; it was a trick she'd taught herself. She'd had to learn to make her stomach think it was full, when actually, she hadn't eaten for days at a time.

"In my wildest dreamings, I never would've... thought I would be here, with you beside me, wanting me."

And their lips met again. Would the magic never stop? Elphaba's heart thumped quickly in her chest, making her almost feel nervous that she wouldn't be able to continue kissing. But her body didn't betray her; it was something she liked about herself. Her body put up with anything and went along with it.

"Just for this moment... as long as you're mine, I'll wake up my body..." she trailed off, as the wind blew her hair out behind her and Fiyero. Part of her realized that the weather was unusually bad; Oz's weather was usually stable and cheerful, with Madame Morrible controlling it.

_Madame Morrible controlling it._

Elphaba frowned momentarily, looking into Fiyero's eyes, and yet not truly seeing them. Weather like this didn't just appear out of the blue. So... did that mean that Madame Morrible was doing something? But why? To catch her? Yes, that certainly was possible; in fact, it was more than possible. Madame Morrible was twisted enough to do it. But it had no connection at all to her, it couldn't really enslave her. As she pondered, she felt Fiyero's lips against her and she succumbed into the oblivion of not thinking, only loving.

Elphaba was giving herself to him. It was a strange- and oddly enough, it was also right. It wasn't Nessarose's love for Boq. It was completely different. Nessarose was obsessed with Boq. But Elphaba wasn't obsessed with Fiyero, nor the idea of Fiyero. It was trust, she decided, a moment later. She trusted him. And she'd lost all trust abilities throughout the course of her life. It wasn't something she went around announcing to the world- _I don't trust you, or you, or you!_- but it was still quite obvious from the way she treated people. Even Nessarose and Glinda. Elphaba had little trust in them, but it was still a lot compared to what she held for other people.

"Somehow I've fallen under your spell…"

As he trailed off, Elphaba frowned internally, not wishing to displease Fiyero. She certainly didn't like to think of it in terms of spells. It made her feel like their love was only that; a spell. Noticing her hesitation, Fiyero still hugged her, pulling her close and running his fingers through her hair.

"Just for this moment, just for this once, as long as you're mine… I can face anything," she whispered fiercely, clinging on to him. She felt ridiculous, needy, and like a _girl, _but she didn't care. Right then, she was quite too happy to feel like a girl.

"You know, this moment may not last forever," he whispered back, hugging her closer as the wind howled louder and tore through the trees.

"I know. But it's happening right now," said Elphaba looking down and taking a deep breath. She knew perfectly well that they could both be dead by morning. But he couldn't die. Someone so good couldn't simply cease to exist. Fiyero deserved to go on, even if she didn't. And Elphaba would do everything in her ability to give Fiyero a good life, a perfect life, the life that he deserved.

"Fiyero, you… you need to go back to Glinda."

Almost immediately, his eyes widened, and he looked very ready to protest, but Elphaba wouldn't let him. He had to. With Glinda, he could never be hurt.

"You have to. The Gale Force will find me and kill me. But they can't get to you. You don't know what they'll do."

"I do," he interrupted, grabbing her arms. "I do, Elphaba. You forget what I was doing while you were on the run. I know what they do just fine. And trust me, you don't want them to catch you. No, in fact, I'm not asking you. I'm staying with you because I love you, and I will not allow them to get their hands on you. "

No. That was all wrong. _We shouldn't even be here. I shouldn't be kissing him. He shouldn't be here with me if he's just going to return to Glinda. Which he will most definitely, because I refuse to let him stay with me._

"No, you're not," she said, shaking her, feeling her eyes oddly devoid of tears. "You're not staying with me, you'll be returning to Glinda. _Damnit_, Fiyero!" she snapped suddenly, as he shook his head. Couldn't he understand that she couldn't lose him?

"Just listen to me, Elphaba! I love you. You don't know how much I love you. I've been waiting for you ever since you left. I was going to break up with Glinda- but then you left. I couldn't break up with her then, because she was just too fragile and already shaken up. But I was waiting. For you. And I'm not going to let you disappear again."

Her face got hard and very firm; she was not going to back out in this. She had condemned herself to living (or dying, depending on who was speaking) alone the moment she had risen by herself, even admitting "It's me!"

"This isn't about you _letting _me, this is about me doing it. You'll be returning to Glinda, and you'll be telling them that the Wicked Witch of the West performed a spell on you." She paused, frowning as she considered what would be the outcome of that. She supposed she could boost Glinda's reputation, as a small act of regret for leaving with Fiyero. "And you'll say that Glinda the Good discovered you and saved you," she added, on an afterthought.

But the boy could not simply say yes. "No," he said, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. "No. You're not _telling _me what to do. I'll do what I want. And I want to be with you, because I love you. Either way, you're not getting rid of me."

Elphaba glared at him, but he simply shook his head in a resolved manner. Why didn't anybody listen to her? She was always the one that was right, and others always got involved in their own way, ruining everything.

"Fine," she said slowly, looking into the darkness of the woods. "But you have to understand; you're no longer that scandalacious Winkie Prince when you join me. You become a fugitive. There'll be no servants, there won't even be food. You have to find a way to get food yourself."

Sadness crashed through her. It was the fact that she was damning someone who was so good. Why had she even crashed the stupid engagement party? It was all her fault. If she hadn't gone, then the brainless boy wouldn't have been able to go with her.

As her eyes pricked slightly, Fiyero suddenly grabbed her, forcing her to look at him. "Fae, don't you dare blame yourself for this. I know you're thinking it's all your fault right now. Well, it's not. It's my fault for not having a brain."

Despite the seriousness of the situation, Elphaba cracked a small smile. "No, you don't," she whispered, as he laughed, enveloping her in his arms.

And then, they were suddenly lip to lip once more, Elphaba kissing Fiyero fiercely. The wind chose to rush in harder at that moment, tipping them over. She landed on top of him, running her fingers through his hair.

"Just for this moment, Fae," he whispered in her ear and she closed her eyes, feeling the warmth of him spread all over her body.

"We can do it. We can face it. As long as you're mine," she whispered back as the darkness of the night covered them.

* * *

A while later, they both lay side by side, using a thin blanket that Elphaba had taken from the Emerald City Palace. The temperature was now definitely below twenty degrees, something startling to Elphaba; it was early spring, so the conclusion would've been that it would be nice weather. Certainly not scorching, like during the summer, but definitely not twenty degrees.

Still, Elphaba's body was warm. Physically and mentally, she was warm, filled with the electricity that came from being with Fiyero. She was unable to comprehend the magnitude of joy that came from being with someone who treated her as if she were a princess, someone worth saving.

"Remember when Shen-shen called you Alphabet?" Fiyero said suddenly, making Elphaba smirked. She still remembered those stupid girls. Apparently Shen-shen had been picked up by a modeling agency during Mizz Shiz; but just a few days after the modeling, she'd had an encounter with a wand. Jealously, Shen-shen had tried to learn sorcery, and by stealing Glinda's wand, had burned almost all of her hair off. The idea made Elphaba chuckle.

"I do," Elphaba said. "It doesn't matter, though, because for the Annual Wizard Examinations, she got a two hundred- out of four hundred. I got a four hundred. It really wasn't a hard test, but it's because of people like Shen-shen and Pfannee and…" she trailed off, unwilling to add Glinda's name to the list. Glinda _could _fall into the same category as Pfannee and Shen-shen, but she had proven herself to have compassion when she danced with her that night of the OzDust dance.

"It's... uncharacteristically cold, isn't it?"

Fiyero's voice broke through her thoughts, snapping her back into the harsh reality. "Yes. It is," she replied nervously, glancing around as well as she could. There was an ominous feeling about everything; the shadows, the sounds of the wind, the waving branches. But still, Elphaba convinced herself there was no malice within the storm. There couldn't be.

It was just her and Fiyero. Together.


End file.
